Nothing Stays Buried Forever
by Emmy The Queen Salvatore
Summary: PART OF MY CROSSOVER COLLECTION. They call her The Day Walker, an Old One, who changed the life of one Viking sheriff. Emmalyne Petrova holds a deep, dark secret that will the change the world of The Great Revelation. She thought she'd buried her secret away, but everyone knows. Nothing stays buried forever. Eric/OC ON HIATUS!
1. New World In My View

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own True Blood or any other show I draw plot lines and inspiration from in any shape or form. The only character I own is my OC, Emma.**

Eric woke with a start from his day rest. It had been awhile since he'd felt his maker, Godric, in so much pain. It had to be _her_. Something was very, very wrong. He turned to his phone and immediately called Godric as he threw on his clothes.

"You felt my pain, child," Godric answered.

"What is wrong?"

"The Queen of Virginia is very sick. She has been betrayed in the worst way. I am leaving for her palace as we speak. It would greatly please me if you would come."

"Sick? What happened?"

"Emmalyne has contracted hepatitis D from _her human_," Godric spat. Typically, Godric was very peaceful toward humans. However, Emmalyne was Godric's maker, Eric's grandsire, a vampire nearing 3,000, a respected Old Blood who was rumored to possess the power to walk in the sun. This matter was gravely serious. She would recover, but it would be most painful.

"This makes no sense. All humans of the Queen's court are screened daily. They would know immediately if one of the Queen's meals were infected."

"Apparently, the vampire who ran the screening procedure wants her dead in order to take her power."

"Ohyra. _(Vermin)_. Have they been dealt with?"

"No. The Court of Virginia has requested that we both come and as both members of her line, we are given permission by the Magister to administer the most severe of punishments to the offenders."

"Hmm. I will leave for Virginia as soon as possible."

"I will see you soon, child," Godric replied before hanging up. Eric sighed. He hadn't seen Emma for over four hundred years. They had…history.

It had been five hundred years after he'd turned and he'd believed he'd lost any shred of humanity in him. However, when Godric introduced him to his maker he had been proved wrong. Emmalyne Tatiana Petrova, a former princess of Sparta. She was the most astounding being he had ever met. Even though she was vampire, she had a presence about her that made her seem more than just a member of the undead. She was calculating yet loyal, intelligent, intimidating, and very straight-forward. She knew what she wanted and knew exactly how to get it. No matter the cost. She had also taught him that despite the nature of vampires, they were capable of loyalty and affection. Their pull to each other was too strong to ignore and they blood bonded. Unfortunately, their relationship didn't withstand the storm of time. They had both hurt each other when they separated, but he didn't think it would be this soon when they crossed paths again. He was still furious with Emma due to the things she had said to him before she left, but his anger at his estranged wife was replaced by the fury he felt toward Emma's human. How dare he hurt her, The Red Queen, one of the most fearsome vampiresses of all time, the vampire he had never stopped loving.

After a quick call to his progeny, Pam, he left for the airport. About five hours later, he arrived at the palace of the Queen of Virginia in Richmond. Eric walked through the gardens of the residence and reached the back door of the property. Two vampires were guarding the entryway.

"I am Eric Northman, Sheriff of Louisiana Area 5."

"We have been expecting you, Sheriff," said a dark-haired man appearing in the doorway. "I am Damon Salvatore, Sheriff of Virginia Area 2. I will take you to Her Majesty. Godric is with her now." Eric nodded and was led into the house.

"How is Her Majesty?" Eric asked as they ascended a flight of stairs to the top floor of the mansion.

"Not well," Damon sighed. "She is very ill. The doctors believe the cold climate of Virginia isn't improving her health. There is talk of moving her to a warmer climate. She's also refusing blood."

"What?" Eric asked, outraged.

"I believe her refusal is out of grief. Thomas was one of her favorite humans and he betrayed her…as well as my brother."

"Explain."

"My brother, Stefan, was responsible for the screening procedures."

"Hmm. Why hasn't someone jammed blood down her throat?"

"As her kin, you may be accustomed to such behavior, but no one in this territory dares defy her orders," said Damon as Godric left Emma's room, sullen. Eric could feel the sadness emanating from his maker.

"Master refused to take my blood," Godric explained.

"Godric, may I speak with her?" Eric asked.

"Yes, my child. Maybe you can talk some sense into her. She always seemed to listen to you." Eric nodded in reverence and entered the room, making sure to the close the door behind him. The sight before him broke his heart. Emma's skin was sallow and she grimaced in pain ever so often.

"You're pathetic," Eric muttered in anger. How could Emmalyne the Bloody let a human get under her skin so much that she refused blood?

"Fuck you, Northman," Emma whispered as Eric approached the bed and sat in a chair.

"How long have you been like this?"

"A few weeks, I suppose. If you've come to convince me to take your blood, forget it. I don't want the pain to go away. I deserve it. For not believing you when you said humans shouldn't be trusted. You were right."

"If we're being honest, I didn't want to be because I didn't want to see you get hurt." He drew her chin towards him so she'd look at him. She closed her eyes and melted into his touch as he cupped her cheek, stroking it.

"He was begging me to turn him and I…I couldn't resist, but…he really just wanted me weak. Thomas injected himself with a strain of hepatitis D. All this time and I never knew that he was a vampire hater. But he didn't need the hepatitis to make me weak. I suppose I already was weak. We aren't supposed to feel love. You're the one who told me that."

"And I was wrong. I'm sorry. Love doesn't make us weak, Emmy. It makes us stronger. You taught me that. When you left, all I could think of was you. I loved you from the moment Godric introduced me to his maker. I'm sorry that I hurt you and couldn't give you what you wanted, but I can now."

"Who would have thought, Eric the Viking turned into a romantic." Eric kissed her forehead gently.

"Don't tell anyone. You'll ruin my image."

"And we wouldn't want that, would we?"

"I love you."

"I know. I can feel it. Even after we separated and our blood bond became more strained, I knew how you felt. I just…couldn't wait any longer for you to admit it."

"Why didn't you call me when this happened? And don't give me some crap about not knowing where I was. You always know where I am, both Godric and I."

"You have no obligation to me and I didn't want you to see me so weak."

"Godric is quite saddened that you will not take his blood."

"Godric is my most beloved child, but as I said before I do not wish for this pain to go away. I deserve this suffering."

"Don't be foolish. The doctors fear you will die in this harsh climate if you do not feed."

"Then let me die, älskade. _(lover)_"

"I will not. Take my blood."

"No! You know what that would do to us. It would renew the bond."

"It is what I want and deep down I know it's what you want too. Emmalina, for once in your life, let go of your stubbornness and let others help you! I will force you to drink if I have to."

"Don't do this to me."

"Do you still love him?"

"Don't be ridiculous! Thomas did this to me!"

"Then drink!"

"Damn you, Northman," Emma growled as she looked at Eric's outstretched wrist and drank from him viciously. Eric moaned in pleasure as she drank and he felt something wet fall down onto his arm. Bloody tears. Emma's tears.

"Shh," he whispered as he cradled her. After a few more pulls, Emma drew away from his arm and laid back on her pillows. "Do you feel better?"

"Yes," Emma replied as she stroked the skin of Eric's face. She slightly smiled as she felt the emotions of their blood bond flow once more. "I've missed you."

"As have I, love."

"Godric," Emma whispered. Immediately, Eric's maker entered the room.

"Master," Godric replied, his mood improved as he noticed Emma's cheeks were flushed with color.

"Come, child. I'd like a taste of the blood of my favorite son. Eric, please call Ms. Flanagan. I would like a meeting with her."

"About what?" Eric asked.

"I wish to resign from my position."

"Are you sure that is wise, Master?" Godric asked.

"I grow tired of this state and my doctors believe a warmer climate would be of benefit to my health. Call her please." Eric nodded and left the room as Emma sunk her fangs into Godric's wrist. After a few pulls, she separated from her child's wrist. "Thank you, my son."

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes. Much. Almost like my old self. I've never told you how proud I am to call you my son. You have chosen a most suitable progeny, my Godric."

"Thank you, Master."

"Please. Don't call me master, my son. I released you long ago."

"Yes, Mother."

The next night, Eric and Emma slowly awoke from their day rest in bed together. Eric slightly smiled as he saw that Emma was fully healed. Her skin had returned to its tanned glow and her gorgeous black tresses had regained their healthy sheen. Emma stretched lazily and languidly kissed her mate as he caressed the skin of her back leisurely.

"Nan will be here soon. I should get ready."

"I don't see her here. All I see is you and me," Eric smirked as his head dipped to her neck. "I have dreamt of your scent and ached for your skin, min gudinna _(my goddess)_."

"Later. I promise," Emma whispered before kissing him. "We will have an eternity for it."

"You are such a tease," Eric groaned.

"Admit it. You love it," Emma teased as she rose from the bed and walked into her closet. Knowing the AVL representative would soon be arriving, Eric decided to dress as well. "Have you dealt with the criminals?"

"The human, yes. I thought I'd leave the vampire to you."

"So thoughtful, dear."

"Let's go deal with the bureaucrat, shall we?" Eric asked, holding his arm out for her. She graciously accepted it and they left the room, meeting the blond AVL representative in Emma's parlor.

"What's this bullshit I here about you wanting to resign from your position of leadership?" Nan spat.

"Nice to see you as well, Nan. To the point as always."

"Make this quick. I have better things to do." Her usually cool façade faded and in a flash, Emma pinned Nan into the wall, flashing her long fangs.

"It seems you have forgotten your place. I am four times your age and a Chancellor of the Authority, you cocky little bitch. I have already spoken with the Guardian about my resignation and he accepts it. Now sign the fucking paperwork, before I jam it down your pretty little throat." She snarled at Nan before releasing her. "I have already designated Damon Salvatore as my successor. Now take care of this shit. I have better things to do then deal with you. Let's go, Eric. I have one last punishment to dole out before my resignation."

"You have no idea how entertaining that was for me," Eric smirked as they walked into a large room where Stefan Salvatore was being kept. As the two old vampires entered, the brown-haired prisoner attempted an escape, but Eric caught him by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to the Queen.

"What do you have planned, love?" Eric asked.

"I had thought of torture, but the sight of him sickens me too much. I believe the only fate in store for you now, Stefan, is the True Death." Without even needing to grab a wooden weapon, Emma's eyes glowed red and Stefan exploded on both Eric and Emma. With Emma's advanced age, it was only natural that her powers were more advanced than any regular vampire. She could easily control a vampire's blood and cause the molecules to speed up and explode. The two vampires hissed at the bloodshed and Eric pulled Emma to him for a bruising kiss that his mate fully enjoyed.


	2. Ain't Fair

It had been one month since Eric had returned to Shreveport without Emma. The former Queen had business to wrap up in Virginia and she had promised to move down to Louisiana once all of her errands were finished. Fangtasia was packed with patrons and Eric couldn't have been more bored out of his skull if he tried. Being with Emma again, hell, just seeing her, it stirred something inside him, made him feel alive again.

At the front door of the club, Bill Compton entered the bar with his friend, Sookie Stackhouse.

"Bill, haven't seen you in a while," said Pam.

"I'm mainstreaming."

"Good for you. Who's the doll?"

"Pam, this is Sookie. Sookie, this is Pam."

"Pleased to meet you," Sookie smiled.

"Can I see your ID?"

"Oh. Sure. How funny. Who'd have thought? Gettin' carded at a vampire bar."

"I can no longer tell human ages. We must be careful we serve no minors...in any capacity. Twenty-five, huh? How sweet it is." Bill and Sookie left Pam.

"This feels a little bit like what a vampire bar would look like if it were a...a ride at Disney World."

"Well, don't get too comfortable. It tends to get more authentic as the night wears on." After talking to Longshadow, the bartender, and getting a drink, the couple sat down at an unoccupied table.

"How's your drink?"

"A gin and tonic's pretty much a gin and tonic no matter where you drink it."

"I know exactly what you mean." Suddenly, a booming, feminine voice resonated over the music.

"Make a hole, you blood bags!" As if it was magic, the crowd parted like the Red Sea and Emma dressed in a stunning gold dress walked through the crowd toward the stage where a second chair was waiting for her next to Eric. As she walked closer and closer to her Eric, she sensed a familiar smell and cast a look at Sookie. Eric was floored by her. She was by far the most beautiful woman in the room. She looked as if melted gold had been poured onto her olive skin. Emma turned to the crowd when she reached the stage. "As you were."

Before she could sit down, Eric pulled her into his lap.

"Hello, love," Emma whispered. He growled and kissed her.

"Don't make me go that long without you again," he whispered into her ear.

Across the bar, Sookie couldn't help but notice the two vampires.

"Who are they?" Sookie asked.

"That's Eric and his mate, Emma. They're the oldest things in this bar."

In Eric's lap, Emma was inconspicuously watching Sookie.

"See something you like, darling?" Eric asked.

"Not to eat. That girl. She's…different from the others. Special. I can't tell what though from this distance."

"Hmm." Before the conversation could continue any further, a bald man was kneeling in front of Eric and touched his knee. Eric kicked him away. The bald man flew halfway across the club and landed on the floor, bleeding from a cut above his right temple. As the bald man tried to get up, he was approached by a young-looking female vampire with her short hair in a bob, and dressed in a black leather dress and long black leather gloves.

"Hi. I'm Taryn." The vampire helped the bald man up and led him away.

"Still think you're in Disney World?" Bill asked Sookie. An hour or so later, Pam was whispering in Eric's ear while Eric and Emma, seated in her own chair, looked in the direction of Bill and Sookie.

"Uh oh," Bill muttered.

"Don't say 'uh-oh.' Vampires are not supposed to say 'uh-oh.'"

"It's Eric and Emma. They've scanned you twice. Eric's going to summon us."

"He can do that?"

"Yeah." Eric raised his right hand motioned to Bill. In response, Bill took Sookie's hand and they left their table to join Eric and Emma still seated. Pam was standing in between the two.

"Bill Compton. It has been a while," said Eric.

"Yes, well...I've been..."

"Mainstreaming. We heard, Billy," said Emma as she looked at Sookie. "I see that is going well for you."

"Yes, of course. Uh, sorry. Eric, Emma, this is my friend..."

"Sookie Stackhouse," Eric replied.

"How do you know my name?" Sookie asked.

"I never forget a pretty face. You're in my vault," Pam answered.

"Great. That's just great. It's nice to meet you."

"Well, aren't you sweet," Emma smirked.

"Not really."

"Vår lilla djurpark börjar växa. _(Our little zoo begins to grow.)_," Eric said to Emma in Swedish.

"Hon har galla. Hon är ganska underhållande lite blod väska. _(She has gall. She is quite the entertaining little blood bag.)_," Emma chuckled.

"Miss Stackhouse, I understand you've been asking questions about some of my customers," Eric said.

"Yes, I have."

"If you have anything to ask, you should ask it of me."

"All rightie. You recognize either one of these girls?" Sookie asked, showing Eric two pictures.

"Hmm...this one I have tasted. The other offered herself to me. But I found her too pathetic for my attentions. This one. She wanted to die."

"How do you know?"

"Any human who comes to a vampire bar wants to die in some way," Emma replied. "That's who we are. Death." Emma enjoyed the girl's squirming.

"Well...thank you very much. That is all your time I need to take."

"We're not finished with you yet!" Eric ordered.

"Bill, it's been a long time since I last occupied your bed. Are you quite attached to your friend?" Emma asked.

"She is mine!"

"Yes. I am his," Sookie added.

"What a pity. For you," Emma laughed.

"Har du legat med honom? _(You slept with him?)_" Eric asked, not showing his irritation.

"Var inte så tonårsflicka, Eric. Han var anmärkningsvärt otillräcklig. _(Don't be such a teenage girl, Eric. He was remarkably inadequate.)_," Emma replied. The two laughed in response. Suddenly, Sookie picked up on a disturbing thought.

"We have to get out of here," said Sookie. "The cops are coming. There's gonna be a raid..."

"You're not an undercover cop, are..."

"I'm not, but that man in the hat is."

"Even if you're right, Eric does nothing illegal here," said Emma. Sookie then caught an image of Taryn feeding on the bald man.

"There's a vampire named Taryn in the ladies' room with that man you kicked before. She's feeding on him."

"How do you know this?" Pam asked.

"How interesting. A telepath," Emma marveled. Suddenly, the police burst through the front door.

"Follow me," said Eric. Pam, Bill and Sookie followed Eric and Emma as the police conducted their raid. Eric shoved open a door at the back of the club leading outside and they all quickly exited the building. Bill picked up Sookie in his arms. Eric, Emma, and Pam moved away as if they were hovering.

"I enjoyed meeting you, Miss Stackhouse. You will come again," said Eric before the two disappeared. When Emma and Eric arrived at Eric's house, Eric pushed her against the front door, making sure to lock it once they were inside. He wanted no disturbances. He wanted Emma all to himself. He had a whole month, heck, centuries to make up for.

"You are absolutely delectable," Eric licked the skin of her neck. "I take it you've moved in?"

"Yes. You like the dress?"

"Like it? I love it and I want to pound into you as I rip it off." He leaned into her so she could feel how aroused he was. Emma moaned.

"Oh but Eric it's new," Emma teased.

"I'll buy you all the dresses in the world if you let me."

"Okay."

"I don't remember you ever being this compliant," Eric said as Emma ran her hand down his chest.

"Well, you obviously haven't met the Emma that's in need for hot, dirty vampire sex. She is very, _very_ compliant." Emma wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his ear, tugging on the lobe a bit. Eric groaned in pleasure. God, how he'd missed his woman. He'd forgotten how much of a hellcat in bed she was and it was such a fucking turn on. "Catch me. If you can, that is." At super speed, Emma rushed up the stairs to the bedroom. As Eric caught up to her, he noticed her shoes, clutch, and dress scattered across the hallway. When he reached the bedroom, he found Emma completely naked on the bed, sending him her most seductive look.

"You naughty girl. You weren't wearing anything underneath your dress." Emma shrugged.

"Well, are you going to claim me or not?" At super speed, Eric jumped onto Emma, pressing her into the mattress.

"Oh, I'll claim you all right. I'll take you so hard the bed breaks and then I'll take you against my door and the wall until your healing factor has a hard time keeping up with the bruises." Lust sparked in Emma's eyes and she kissed him. The kiss was wet, torrid. All you would expect between two vampires.

"Need…skin," Emma panted when they separated. Eric threw off his jacket and tore off his shirt.

"God, you smell good," Eric groaned as he thrust his nose into the crook of her neck and quickly pulled off his jeans.

"Only for you."

"And this is for you. God, I never get this hard for anyone," Eric groaned as Emma gripped him. At frightening speed, Eric shot down in between her legs and tasted her.

"Oh yes!" Emma moaned.

"You taste…incredible. Like Heaven covered in honey, the finest ambrosia," Eric growled. Eric dove in once more to her sweet core. He nipped and licked, and bit every inch of her and her resounding orgasm finally came when his fangs snicked down and found their way into femoral artery. However, Eric was nowhere near done. He rammed his massive cock inside her.

"Skit! _(Fuck!)_" they both cursed. Emma's legs immediately wound as tight as possible around his back. The amount of pleasure they both received was obscene. It was like coming home again.

"God, what do you do to me, woman?" Eric grit out as he withdrew and thrusted inside her.

"I need more," Emma moaned as she thrust against him. They kissed and Emma's hands tangled in his blonde locks. Every moan and groan egged Eric on as he pounded into her. When Emma bit his neck, Eric howled out in completion as they both were brought to the precipice of pleasure. All of his seed was poured into her as he collapsed on top of her. They both panted, both trying to find words to explain how they felt, but there were none. It was indescribable.

"How was that?" Eric finally asked.

"Magnificent. However, I don't think you broke the bed. Or the door. Or the wall. I'd hate for you to be known as a man that doesn't keep his promises." Growling, Eric sped Emma to the wall. He was instantly hard again, her words spurring him on. Without warning, he thrusted into her. "Yes! Oh yes!" she moaned.

"You know just what buttons to push with me, my sexy, impertinent, wife," Eric groaned as he opened her wider, the angle giving him greater penetration.

"God, just shut up and fuck me until I can't feel anything but you!" Emma begged, her desire consuming her.

"Tell me how much you love me," Eric roared as he grabbed her hips.

"Too much. Not enough. God, I love you."

"Say it again."

"I love you. So fucking much."

"I love you too, my goddess, my queen, my fucking perfect wife."

"My husband, my king." Emma kissed his neck. "To me, you'll always be king." The intimacy and heat of the moment brought them both to climax and they cried at the sheer ecstasy of the moment. As they fell to the floor, Emma turned to look at the wall. "I think you dented the drywall." Eric chuckled.

"That's what you get for pissing me off."

Later that night after many orgasms and many positions, Emma sat at the vanity she had set up earlier in the bedroom before she left for Fangtasia. She brushed the small tangles in her lush, dark brown hair. Eric was lying on the bed, simply observing her in the nude. How could she make even the simple act of brushing her hair erotic? She astounded him to new levels. She smiled in the mirror slightly as she noticed him watching her. After finishing her work, she waltzed over to the bed and straddled Eric.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"How beautiful you are, my goddess," Eric replied, cupping her cheek.

"I bet you say that to all the girls."

"Only you."

"Oh really?"

"None of them could hold a candle to you, my sweet."

"I used to think you didn't have a heart, but you're a big faker, mister," said Emma as she trailed a finger down his chest. "You love."

"Only for you. And this is just the beginning," Suddenly, he grabbed the back of her head and brought her down for a kiss.


	3. Fresh Blood

At the old Compton home, crickets were chirping as Bill opened the door and walked inside with his dry cleaning. He closed the door and noticed the lights were on in the foyer and soft music was playing upstairs. He hung his clothes on the staircase and with lightning speed ran upstairs. He crept along the hallway, following the music, and saw light through the crack between a door and the floor. He slightly opened the door leading to his bathroom and saw Eric relaxing in the bathtub.

"I texted you three times. Why didn't you reply?" Eric asked.

"I hate usin' the number keys to type. What are you listenin' to?"

"From my younger days. It's really quite beautiful if you know Old Swedish. I have a favor to ask of you."

"A favor or an order?"

"Depends on how you look at it. Honestly, did you think Emma wouldn't find out she's a telepath?"

The next night, a car pulled into the parking lot of Fangtasia. A sign read CLOSED on the black leather-padded front door, but the red neon FANGTASIA sign was lit.

"You said you wanted to go out tonight," said Bill.

"I did not mean Fangtasia! I mean, really, all those pathetic people who come here looking for sex with vampires?"

"I know. It's despicable."

"You know what I mean! So, what, five, ten minutes?"

"As long as Eric requires us."

"You mean as long as he requires me. Didn't even have the decency to ask me himself."

"You are mine. He didn't need to ask your permission."

"He cannot check me out like a library book!"

"Unfortunately, Sookie, he can. Eric is sheriff of Area Five."

"Sheriff?"

"It's a position of great power among our kind. Not to mention he is mated to Emma. You do not want to anger her. As long as the requests are reasonable, we should accede to his wishes."

"Fine," Sookie sighed.

When they entered the club, Emma was sitting on top of the bar, dressed in a black Emilio Pucci lace dress, a glass of blood in her hand. Pam was leaning against the bar, her arms folded. Sookie sat at a cocktail table when Eric walked in.

"Emma, Pam, Longshadow, and I are partners in this club. And we recently noticed that sixty thousand dollars has gone missing from our books," said Eric.

"No one steals from vampires and gets away with it," said Emma. "Bruce is our accountant. Perhaps you can start by listening to him."

"He's not saying anything."

"Don't be coy," Emma barked.

"It's humbling enough to turn to a human for assistance. We know what you can do," Eric added.

"And I know what you can do too. Why don't you just glamour him?"

"Now, don't you think we might have tried everything before summoning you?" Emma asked.

"I don't like her," Sookie glared at Eric.

"Emma's like that. You either love her or hate her. It would be a great favor to me and to Mr. Compton if you help us."

"If I find out who did it, then what?"

"We'll turn that person over to police and let the authorities handle it from there," said Longshadow.

"Hundreds of years old and you're still a terrible liar. Come on. I'll make you a deal: If you promise to hand over the person who did this to the police, I'll agree to help you any time you want."

"All right. Why not?" Eric agreed. Sookie grabbed Bruce's hand and listened to his thoughts.

"Bruce, it's okay. Take a deep breath. Did you steal their money?"

"No, no. You gotta believe me. I didn't do it. I swear to..."

"Shhhh. Do you know who did?"

"No."

"He's tellin' the truth."

"You trust the skinny human to clear the fat one?" Longshadow asked.

"Bring the next one in," Eric ordered Pam. Pam left for a few minutes and brought a blond woman in.

"This is the last of our humans," said Pam.

"Ginger. This woman has some questions for you. Now, be a good girl and answer them, will you?"

"Aye, aye, master." Sookie took Ginger's hand.

"Ginger, someone's been stealin' money from the bar."

"Really? Huhn."

"She didn't do it...but she knows who did. Who? Who's gonna kill you? Ginger honey, what's his name? It's blank, like her memory's been erased."

"I don't know anything, I swear."

"She's been glamoured," Emma said.

"It's a vampire," Sookie realized. Suddenly, Longshadow jumped over the bar toward Sookie, his fangs exposed. As Longshadow tried to strangle Sookie, Ginger screamed.

"Ginger, shut up!" Emma yelled.

"Thank you, dear," Eric replied. Before Longshadow could bite Sookie, Bill killed him and as Longshadow disintegrated into a bloody mess, Ginger threw up. "Humans. Honestly, Bill, I don't know what you see in them."

While Sookie left to clean up, Ginger was cleaning up the floor.

"How did I end up with you people? Jesus. Mother Mary in heaven. I'm so sorry, Mama. I'm so sorry," Ginger cried.

"When Ginger is finished, glamour her for me," said Eric to Pam.

"Are you sure? She's been glamoured one too many times already. Who knows how much of her is left."

"It's either that or turn her. You want her?"

"Please, I'm not that desperate. Glamour it is."

"Excellent. Come, Bill. I'll buy you a Blood." Eric, Bill, and Emma walked into Eric's office. Eric gave a bottle of TruBlood to Bill and he sat in in his chair, pulling Emma into his lap.

"Thank you."

"How do you stomach that stuff? Don't you find it metallic and vile?" Eric asked.

"I don't think about it. It's sustenance, that's all." Emma chuckled. "What?"

"If you're their poster boy, the mainstreaming movement is in very deep shit. TruBlood. It keeps you alive, but it will bore you to death."

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?"

"You killed a vampire, Bill. For a human. What are we gonna do about this?" Eric asked.

"What do you have in mind?"

"We'll take the girl," said Emma.

"No. You can have anyone. Why do you want her?"

"Why do you want her? You're not in love with her, are you?" Eric asked.

"Sookie must be protected."

"That sounds like an edict. But it couldn't be, because I would know about that. Admit it. You love her."

"If I hadn't done what I did, would you have let his disloyalty stand?"

"Whatever I did to Longshadow, I would not have done in front of witnesses. Especially not vampire witnesses. Not smart, Bill. Not smart at all."

"I'm going to go check on your human," said Emma before she left the office. Sookie was still cleaning up in the bathroom when Emma arrived with a set of clothes.

"Put these on."

"I'm fine, really. I'm just gonna dry out my hair and be on my way."

"You're not going anywhere. Eric and your boyfriend aren't nearly done talking just yet."

"Is Bill in some kind of trouble?"

"That's for the boys to figure out. Right now, what you need to do is change out of your clothes. There's vampire in your cleavage."

"Okay. Ew."

"Allow me." Emma removed the piece of flesh.

"Thank you."

"I'm beginning to understand the fuss everyone's making over you," Emma chuckled before leaving.

The next night, the doorbell rang at Bill's house. He turned off his Wii and opened the door to see Eric, Emma, and Chow.

"Eric. Emma."

"Bill, Chow. Chow, Bill," Eric introduced as he walked into the house.

"Nice to meet you," said Chow.

"Chow is Longshadoow's replacement," Emma explained.

"I take it by your being here, there was no way around it, then?"

"I can't really say. Didn't exactly look into it." Emma laughed.

"Tell me, do you enjoy living halfway up his backside the way you do?" Bill asked Emma.

"Yes, it's nice. You should try it."

"We're gonna have to stop by the bar where Sookie works first. She needs to know that I'll be gone. Don't forget how this started. She came to Fangtasia to help you."

"Fine. Go to the bar."

"Might be smart to check out the competition," Emma suggested.

"Yes, indeed."

"What's your game?" Chow asked Bill.

"Excuse me?"

"You were playing Wii. What's your game?"

"Golf."

"What's your best score on Pebble Beach?"

"Seven under."

"Mine's eleven under."

"I liked Longshadow better," said Bill to Eric. When they arrived at Merlotte's, Sookie was shocked to see them.

"Bill, what's going on?"

"This place is even more depressing than I thought it'd be," Eric muttered as Emma laughed.

"What are they doing here?" Sookie asked Bill.

"Give me a minute, then we'll talk. Where's Sam?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"He's in his office," Tara answered.

"Try to behave yourself," said Bill to Eric.

"Don't I always?" When Bill returned from Sam's office, Eric was talking to the Merlotte's crowd.

"So simply present this card at the door when you get to Fangtasia and the first round is on me."

"Also, Thursdays are ladies nights, so be sure to bring a date. That is, if you can get one," said Emma.

"I take it your business here is done?" Eric asked Bill.

"I came to talk to Sookie."

"I'll give you three minutes. We have a tribunal to get to."

"What?" Sookie asked.

"Come with me," said Bill as he took her outside.

"Oh, before we go, a word of advice," said Emma. "We know when a human has wronged us. We can smell it. So do not make the mistake of letting the pretty blonde vampire lady on television make you feel too comfortable. We may not have retaliated… yet… but we know who you are. Have a nice night." Outside, Bill and Sookie were in a heated discussion.

"I have no choice, I have to go."

"Why?"

"Because I killed a vampire."

"I know that, I was there, remember? He was gonna kill me. You were defending me."

"If one of you killed another one of you defending one of us, there would be a trial."

"I'll come with you then."

"No."

"I can and I'm going to. I wanna testify for you."

"Damn it, you can't. You can't come. And you can't testify. You will not be welcomed there."

"You lied to me. You said everything was gonna be okay but it's not, is it?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Tick tock, Bill," Emma mocked.

"Just look after yourself, all right? I've asked Sam to watch over you. Be smart, Sookie, and just let him. There's still somebody out there who wants to kill you."

"Fine. I will."

"Thank you."

"And time," Eric said. Sookie and Bill kissed. "Bill. Now." They separated and the vampires left.


	4. Necroplasm Fix

"It seems we have a special guest," said the Magister, sitting atop a truck bed in a junkyard as Emma walked in front of the contingent from Shreveport, her trench coat whipping in the wind. "Day Walker, it is an honor and a pleasure to see you in the tribunal once more."

"The pleasure is mine," Emma replied as another chair was placed on the bed of the truck and Emma took a seat. "I hope you have a most entertaining session today, Magister. It's been a long time since I've witnessed judgment." The Magister smirked. Emma had been the first Magister during the Dark Ages and had been the one responsible for maintaining the old ways of the tribunal.

"First, is one who fed from another's human," said the Magister as Luisa, a vampire, removed one fang from another vampire. All the other vampires hissed at the smell of blood.

"Idiot!" Emma exclaimed.

"My thoughts exactly," said the Magister. "Three months of starving till your fangs grow back will teach you better manners. Brothers and sisters of the tribunal, is this fair? Is this just?"

"Yeah!" the vampires yelled.

"Now, Luisa, the other one, please. From the root." She removed the other fang. "Sentence passed and executed. The trial is concluded. Best of luck. Moving on. Ah, this is from your husband's area, Emmalyne. Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area 5, bring me your murderer."

"Longshadow was choking the girl and would have killed her," said Bill, desperately trying to explain the situation.

"So you murdered a higher life form for the sake of your pet. You broke an ancient and fundamental law. You decreased our numbers at a critical time in our history. Very bad. Very, very bad."

"Magister, Longshadow broke the law first. She was mine and he knew it. He would have killed her and fed from her."

"Hello, human. Irrelevant. Happens every day."

"He was stealing from Eric."

"Sheriff?" the Magister addressed Eric.

"Yes, Magister, it's true. Longshadow was a thief and a liar. He was hurting my business."

"The business part that is a serious offense."

"And it was the human who exposed Longshadow. Would you tell him, Eric?"

"The only reason the girl was there was because I called her."

"To protect your wealth."

"To protect my wealth, yes. Magister, she is… valuable."

"Humans exist to serve us. That is their only value."

"There are those among us who think differently."

"Do you question my authority? I am the Magister. I was trained in the Inquisition and I am the adjudicator for every vampire territory in North America. As the humans say, the humans you love more than your own kind: Back your shit down. Well, you haven't bored me. That works in your favor. And you seem to be obedient to your sheriff."

"For the most part. When it matters, yes, he is."

"The usual sentence is five years in a coffin chained with silver. During which time your body will waste to leather and sticks. You'll probably go insane. What do you think, Emma?"

"Yes, you could sentence him to the coffin or…we could have a little fun with him," Emma smirked.

"I'm intrigued. Go on," the Magister said.

"Maybe we should get a bit…creative with this one," Emma giggled.

"I like the way you think." The Magister than turned to Bill. "You have no nest. You prefer to consort with humans. You seem to have lost all sense of our priorities. William Compton, you owe us a life." Luisa grabbed a girl out from the trunk of a car.

"No," said Bill. "Put me in the coffin, Magister. I will go willingly."

"Please, it's the first time I ever snuck out. I just wanted to go to Ashley's party. I only ever get to go to youth choir and prayer group. You take me home, I won't say a word to Mama and Daddy or anybody. Please, please, just help me," said the girl.

"There's no help for you, child. Meet your Maker," said Emma. Eric chuckled at this form of punishment. Emma was always known for her…unique verdicts.

"If you want to torture anyone, torture me," said Bill.

"Torture or this? I don't think so. I could show you torture, if you like," said the Magister.

"No. No, I was wrong to speak."

"You can quit stalling. What you see in this cow, Bill, is merely a response to stimuli. Humans are quite… primitive… incapable of feeling pain as we do. But you know that," said Emma.

"According to our records, you have never been a Maker, is that right?" the Magister asked.

"Yes."

"But you know the procedure?"

"Yes."

"Then proceed."

"Oh, and glamour is not permitted," said Emma.

"Emma, she's just a girl."

"You are boring me. Shut up and do as you're told!" the Magister yelled.

"Forgive me," Bill muttered before he bit her.

Later that night after the trial, Emma watched over Bill who was hollowing out a grave in the ground. The girl he had killed, Jessica, was unconscious. Emma was looking at her and playing with her dress.

"Would you leave her alone?" Bill asked.

"It's your own fault. You and your insane affection for stupid cattle."

"Just go away."

"I wouldn't have to be here if the Magister could trust you."

"I fulfilled the conditions of my sentence. I murdered this innocent girl."

"There was no murder. You drained her blood and gave her yours."

"I've proven my loyalty."

"Yes. But you're romantic, you're sentimental. You just might do something to keep the little bloodbag from joining our ranks. I won't let you stake her before she goes to ground."

"I'm not gonna stake her, I'm gonna set her free."

"You've already set her free. The same as I freed my children."

"Everyone she's ever known will recoil from her. Everything she's ever loved has been stolen from her."

"Oh, please, there's no comparison. You've given that pathetic lump of temporary flesh…"

"Jessica."

"The ultimate gift. You're a maker. You're a hero."

"I find myself doubting whether you were ever truly human."

"Thank you," Emma smiled. She pushed Jessica with her foot into the hole.

"Damn you," Bill cursed, moving into the grave to lay with Jessica.

"Once she's planted in the earth, the transformation will begin."

"I know."

"I'll tuck you in. Tomorrow night your little girl will rise vampire," said Emma as she shoveled dirt into the hole.

The next night, Bill stopped by Fangtasia with Jessica.

"This is your punishment, not mine. What am I supposed to do with her?" Eric asked sitting on the couch while Emma sat on the top of his desk.

"Excuse me. I can hear you, Mr. Rude. I wanna go to the bar. I wanna be one of those dancers. Oh, I'm hungry," said Jessica. Emma chuckled.

"She won't listen to me. It'll take more time than I have to teach her obedience," said Bill.

"I don't obey anybody. Those days are over."

"You can't handle one little girl, Bill? Newborns can be like this," said Emma. "Grow a pair already. She's not even one night old."

"That is not the issue."

"You want to stay with your maker, don't you?" Eric asked Jessica.

"No, he's a dick. Nobody lets me have any fun."

"Sit down and shut up!" Emma yelled. "Close the door." Emma turned to Bill. "You have to be tough with them or they'll walk all over you."

"I am well aware of that, but you can see how she is. And there are urgent matters to which I must attend."

"Sookie Stackhouse? Haven't you done enough for her?" Eric asked.

"If any harm were to come to her because of my absence, you would be…"

"What?" Eric asked, daring him.

"…without her helpful skills. I would be in your debt. I would return the favor."

"Oh, yes, you will. You most definitely will. Jessica!"

"You don't have to yell at me."

"How would you like to learn how a real vampire feeds?"

"Oh, yes, sir. Please, sir."

"See? It's really quite easy."

A few nights later, Bill was playing the piano at his house when Jessica came him.

"Hi, Daddy," she spat before plopping down on the couch just as Eric and Emma walked in.

"What is this?" Bill asked.

"There are favors and then there are _favors_," Eric replied.

"She is extremely annoying," Emma added.

"You can't do this. We had a deal."

"Well, now the terms have changed. She's yours. Unless you wanna give me Sookie. It's just a suggestion. Though a few nights with this one may change your mind."

"Good luck," said Emma.

"Ljuva frihet. _(Sweet freedom.)_" Emma and Eric laughed as they left.

"So who's good to eat around here?" Jessica asked.


	5. Elective Surgical Strike

Music boomed upstairs in Fangtasia as Lafayette and another man scrounged in squalor in the basement.

"I got a plan. I'm busting us out," said the man.

"Don't be an idiot," Lafayette muttered.

"I'll come back for you. Promise."

"Shut up." The door slammed open and Eric walked down the steps. Lafayette moved to hide behind a pillar.

"Shushing won't do you any good, sweetheart," Eric said. "We hear everything. Since you made me come all the way down here, I'm gonna take out some of the garbage. Royce Allen Williams, we have a few questions for you, with regard to a fire which killed three of our kind."

"No fucking way, man. I don't know anything."

"Crimes against vampires are on the rise. We even lost a sheriff just days ago. We seek answers."

"Die, you dead fucker!" He silvered Eric and the old vampire roared in pain. He pulled the silver cross off his face, grabbed the human by the leg and fed on him, ripping him apart in the process. When he finished with Royce's body, he threw the human's arm away.

"If you have any silver on you, now would be the time to reveal it," Eric warned Lafayette.

"No way. I ain't that stupid."

"Yes, you are." Eric then noticed blood dripping from him. He looked mildly alarmed. "Is there blood in my hair?"

"What?" Lafayette asked, confused why a dangerous vampire would ask such a superficial question.

"Is there blood in my hair?"

"I don't know, I can't see in this light."

"How about now?" Eric asked, moving closer.

"Yeah, there's a little bit of blood there."

"This is bad. Emma is gonna kill me," he growled.

"Who the fuck is Emma?"

"Why, do you wanna meet her?" Eric smiled. Emma had been asking him for a new toy. This human could fit the bill.

"No. No. I'm good."

"Well, you're going to."

"Where are you taking me?"

"To find out what you know. I wouldn't try anything rash if I were you. I'm still hungry." A few minutes later, Emma was frowning, inspecting Eric's hair.

"This is a disaster. We'll have to go much shorter than I planned," Emma pouted.

"Yeah, well, I said I was sorry, Emma. But he took silver to me. You were there. You saw it. Defend me."

"I don't know what it is you wanna know, but point me in the direction, and I give to you," said Lafayette, trembling.

"I've seen your website. It's quite, low rent. But your clients miss you. They're wondering if you're ever coming back."

"Am I? Look, I'm here because of the V, right? How'bout I give you the names of everybody I ever sold to?"

"And all this time I thought prostitutes were good at keeping secrets," said Pam, sitting on the couch.

"Don't get it twisted, honeycomb, I'm a survivor first, a capitalist second, and a whole bunch of other shit after that. But a hooker, dead last. So if I got even a Jew at an al Qaeda pep rally shot at getting my black ass up out this motherfucker, I'm taking it. Now, what you wanna know?"

"The vampire you had your little arrangement with. Eddie Fournier. What happened to him?" Eric asked.

"I don't know. I swear to God I don't. Last time I saw him he was doing real good. But I think he may have been taken by somebody."

"By whom?"

"I don't know. I mean I ain't sure."

"That's not very forthcoming of you. Emma, would you like to eat him?" Emma smirked and licked her lips.

"No, chill out. Shit. I think it... I think it was... Jason Stackhouse."

"Sookie bror. Kan vara kul. _(Sookie's brother. Could be fun.)_," said Eric to Emma in Swedish.

"Kul, men också dumt. Vi kan fortfarande få lite användning ur Sookie. _(Fun, but also stupid. We can still get some use out of Sookie.)_"

"Sant. _(True.)_ Sadly, this information is of no use to us. Not now, anyway. I understand dealers of vampire blood sometimes trade product with one another across state lines. Any buyers in the Dallas area?"

"One. He never gave me his name though. I have an e-mail address: pussylover9 ."

"A friend of mine in the Dallas area, his name is Godric, has gone missing. Now, while the circumstances of his disappearance are unclear, it stands to reason his blood would be very valuable, as he's over twice my age and ten times the vampire I will ever be."

"Eric, you don't do humble well," said Pam.

"I was not being humble. This happens to be true. Your associate, this 'pussylover.' Has he or she mentioned any new product coming on the market?"

"No, no. And I would tell you. You know that."

"Take our guest and lock him back up, will you?"

"Fuck, I ain't going back down there. I gave you..."

"You gave me nothing!"

"I'm not going back."

"Chow, now," Emma ordered. She looked at Lafayette like he was her next meal. "I think I'll save you for my next after-sex snack."

"I gave you every... I gave you everything! I ain't going back down!" Chow threw Lafayette out of the room and back down into the basement.

The next night, Bill was doing some shopping when Eric stopped by.

"Good evening, old sport," said Eric.

"Eric?" Bill asked, seeing Eric with short hair for the first time.

"It's the new me. You like?"

"I do. Very much."

"We need to talk. The sheriff of Area 9 in Texas has gone missing. Have you heard about that?"

"I hadn't, but I know the vampire of whom you speak. His name is Godric, correct?"

"Indeed. Now it goes without saying he needs to be found. Which is where Sookie comes in. As she's yours, I'm asking your permission to take her with me to Dallas."

"Eric, you can do whatever you want with me, but I am not putting her in this position anymore. I cannot and I will not allow you to bring her into these matters."

"We made a deal, your human and I. That if I didn't kill, she would work for me as often as I like. Now, you remember this, don't you? You were there."

"Taking her cross state lines is a far cry from taking her to Fangtasia for the evening."

"I'm only asking your permission out of respect. If I want her, I can simply take her. Is 'no' your final answer?"

"It is."

"Poorly played, Bill. Poorly played," Eric sighed as he walked away.

Meanwhile at Fangtasia, Emma and Pam were considering what to do with Lafayette who had been wounded by Ginger after he tried to escape in the daylight.

"How much blood do you think he's lost?" Pam asked Emma.

"Oh, I still think he has something to offer."

"I hate to let it all go to waste like this. Seems a shame we have to wait for Eric."

"Maybe one day you'll be sheriff and you can make the rules," said Emma.

"I doubt that."

"Me too."

"Sorry to keep you waiting for so long. How's the leg?" Eric asked, walking into the room.

"Shitty. Thanks for asking."

"After all your proclamations about what a model prisoner you were going to be, you had to try to escape."

"You were going to kill me anyway, right?"

"Now you'll never know. It's a shame. You would've made such a nice toy if you'd just been a good little boy," said Emma.

"So, what's it gonna be, Lafayette? Would you like the leg to kill you, or would you prefer us to do it?" Eric asked.

"I'm gonna go with plan C."

"There's a plan C?"

"Make me a vampire."

"I beg your pardon?"

"And you can put me to work in the bar. I'm a good dancer. You seen it on my site. Shit, I get up there and move Earth and heaven, go-go style."

"You are aware there's a gaping hole in your leg? You're damaged goods," Emma smirked. "We'd be better off to just gut you."

"Not if you turn me. I'll be good as ever. Look, I... I'm already a person of poor moral character, so I'll hit the ground running. And I damn near glamour people already. Give me what y'all got, and it's on me, cracker. Not only will I be a badass vampire, but I'll be your badass vampire."

"Interesting. I'll take it under advisement," said Eric. "Pam? Emma? Chowtime." The three vamped out and fed on their prisoner.


	6. Stumble and Pain

It was several days before Eric and Emma encountered Bill and his human again. Eric was sitting in his throne at the bar, Emma on his lap, as he kissed her neck.

"You're insatiable," Emma groaned.

"I know." Suddenly, the back door to the bar was slammed open and Pam greeted Bill in a flash.

"What do you want?" she asked harshly. She then noticed he was carrying Sookie. "What happened? Oh yum. She's bleeding."

"Where is Eric?" Bill ordered.

"The bar. But be warned. He and Emma are having a little playtime." Bill burst into the main bar.

"This is on your account," Bill accused as he laid Sookie down on the leather sofa, her chest melting into the cool material.

"I'll call Dr. Ludwig," said Emma, crawling off Eric's lap and walking to the phone behind the bar.

"What has happened to you?" Eric asked Sookie, kneeling next to her. Sookie glared at him, so incensed she could barely speak.

"I am a message to you," she said almost in a whisper. "This woman in the woods made Bill's car stop and maybe even made us argue. She said she wanted to send you a message and I turned in time to keep her from getting my face, but she got my back and then she left."

"Eric, her cuts are not so deep. What's wrong with her?" Emma asked, hanging up the phone and approaching the trio. The doctor walked through the doors in that moment and began to tend to Sookie.

"What kind of doctor are you?" Sookie asked.

"The healing kind. I'm Doctor Ludwig. What's your…" Sookie screamed when the doctor touched her back.

"I'm Sookie Stackhouse. Am I dying?"

"Yes."

"No. She cannot die. You will save her," said Bill.

"Back off, vampire. Let me do my job."

"You'll have to forgive Bill, Mary. He's abnormally attached to this human," Emma spat.

"Well, we don't have a lot of choices. She's been poisoned. Have you ever heard of Komodo dragons? Their mouths are teeming with bacteria. Well, maenad wounds have the same toxic level. After a dragon has bitten you, the creature tracks you for hours, waiting for the bacteria to kill you. For maenads, the delayed death adds to the fun. For Komodo dragon, who knows? I can dose the exterior wounds. But your bloodstream has been compromised and your blood must be removed and replaced. That is a job for the vampires. If only one of you takes the poisoned blood, that one will be pretty miserable. It's the element of magic that the maenad imparts. The Komodo dragon bite would be no problem for you guys. So when I'm finished, each of you take a turn, removing just a little. Then we'll give her a transfusion."

"Of human blood," Sookie said.

"If Eric can pull some strings and get the human blood at least half the transfusion can be synthetic," Dr. Ludwig added.

"I can get the blood. What's your type?"

"O positive."

"That shouldn't be a problem. Start with my blood first, Mary. It's more potent," said Emma.

"I haven't heard an apology from you yet," Sookie said to Eric.

"I'm sorry that the maenad picked on you."

"Not enough."

"Angelic Sookie, I am prostrate that the wicked, evil maenad violated you in an attempt to deliver a message to me," said Eric, rolling his eyes, as he walked into his office with Bill. "Pam, Chow." Quickly, the two vampires entered the room. "Search the woods around highway 71."

"He can do it," said Pam. "I'm wearing my favorite pumps."

"Gå nu. _(Go, now)_," Eric ordered. Pam rolled her eyes and left with Chow. "She is extremely lazy. But loyal. How's yours? Jessica?"

"Petulant. Dangerous. Afraid."

"I'm glad to see you two are bonding. Being a good maker is very rewarding."

"I have to get back to Sookie."

"Oh, relax. Dr. Ludwig treated one of Emma's humans when it was mauled by a werewolf. Lost an eye, but otherwise he's fine." Several minutes later, Pam and Chow walked back into the bar. Pam's shoes were filthy and she had a few leaves in her hair.

"The area has been scanned," Pam drawled.

"Tracks were human, but the smell was distinctly animal."

"A filthy one," Pam added.

"Send an alert through the appropriate channels. Find out what the neighbors know. And Pam. Those were great pumps," Eric said.

"I wanna thank you for your hospitality, Eric, and for saving Sookie's life."

"I'm sure there's a way she can repay me," Eric smirked.

The following morning, Bill woke up from his day rest and saw Sookie sitting at the bar.

"You still angry about our fight? Sookie, none of that matters anymore."

"You're right. I'm alive and in one piece, unlike my friend, Lafayette, who Eric chained up like an animal and left to bleed to death."

"What?"

"You better not have known anything about this Bill Compton, because if you did, I don't think I could ever forgive you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"She's referring to the human in my basement," said Eric. "The human that traded sexual services with a vampire in order to sell his blood. Which, as you know, is a grave offense."

"His name is Lafayette and you ought to be ashamed for what you've done to him. They've tortured him and bitten him and shot him and kept him down there in his own filth for weeks."

"Is this true?" Bill asked.

"There are others who would have done far worse and you know it."

"You're gonna let him go right now, or I swear I'm going to the police."

"I do not respond well to threats. But perhaps we can come to some sort of arrangement." A few minutes later, Eric explained the situation concerning Texas to Sookie and Bill.

"So if I agree to go to Dallas to help look for this missing vampire, you'll let Lafayette go?" Sookie asked.

"No, you nearly died last night. You are not going to Dallas."

"Bill, I can make up my own mind."

"I will pay all of your expenses, of course, and yes, I will release your friend."

"And I want $5000. I've missed a lot of work and I need a driveway."

"Your human is getting cocky," said Eric.

"She will take $10000 and I will escort her."

"I don't think so, no."

"Yes. Ten thousand and Bill comes with me or it's a deal breaker." Eric pulled out his cellphone and called Emma.

"Emmalina, ta med honom. _(Emmalina, bring him.)_ You surprise me. That is a rare quality in a breather."

"You disgust me."

"Perhaps I'll grow on you."

"I'd prefer cancer." Emma opened the door and threw Lafayette on the ground.

"Such a shame. I was hoping I could convince Eric to let me keep you," Emma smirked.

"No, you already have enough pets," Eric replied.

"No offense, but you ain't exactly my type, bitch."

"Can I kick him?"

"You can try," said Bill.

"Enough. Have Chow fetch their car."

"You owe me dinner." Emma left.

"I'll take you now. See you around."

"Don't bet on it," said Lafayette. I'm retiring. I'm done. Done."

A few days later, Eric received a phone call from Bill.

"You were supposed to call me when you arrived," said Eric.

"We were ambushed at the airport."

"By whom?"

"You know exactly by whom, Eric. The Fellowship of the Sun. Why didn't you tell me they were involved?"

"I didn't know for sure. Now I do."

"You could've shared your suspicions with me."

"I could've, but I didn't. You should remember that I am your sheriff, Bill. We are not equal. And if that displeases you, take it up with a magister. Or the queen." Later that day, Emma hopped onto the first flight to Texas and met Bill at the Hotel Carmilla's bar.

"I admire you, Bill. It takes a real vampire to admit he cannot protect his human," Emma smirked.

"And it takes a true monster to not care about anyone or anything other than herself."

"I care about others.

"You and Eric care about Godric. You have no obligations to Dallas or Texas. This is personal for you. Why?"

"I hope you're enjoying your blood substitute, which is costing me $45."

"I have no intention of drinking it, I just want you to pay for it."

"Mature."

"Answer the question. Why this allegiance to Godric?"

"He's much beloved by his subjects."

"Only kings and queens have subjects, Emma, not sheriffs."

"Godric could have been king of Texas had he wanted. He could have been king of any vampire territory anywhere. He's very powerful, Bill."

"Well, if he's so powerful, how could they abduct him?"

"Now, that is what worries me. If one such as he can be taken by humans, then none of us are safe."

"What can I give you to release Sookie from her agreement?"

"Nothing, since you like humans so much, I think you would want to protect them. The vampires here, they're like cowboys, if they don't get Godric back, they'll want justice. They'll start attacking people."

"Open aggression against humans? That's insane."

"It's Texas."


	7. Slither Thing

"You should have told me Eric hired a fucking human, Isabel," Stan muttered at Godric's house.

"Now, wait just a minute," Sookie interrupted.

"Respect her," Bill demanded.

"I couldn't tell you, Stan. You've been off on your own for days," Isabel chided.

"Gami̱ménoi paidiá _(Fucking children)_," Emma cursed in her native Greek tongue as she rolled her eyes at the childishness of the group.

"Are you certain Godric was abducted by the Fellowship of the Sun?" Eric asked.

"Yes," Stan replied as Isabel said, "No."

"They're the only ones with the organization and manpower," Stan defended.

"But they're amateurs. It doesn't make any sense. This is Godric we're talking about, 2000 years old."

"Old don't make you smart," Stan replied.

"I'm aware of how old Godric is, Isabel," Emma said. "I want to know what you're doing about it."

"If they've got him, I'll hear it. That's my job," said Sookie.

"There's no reason to wait. We need to take these fanatics down. Full-out attack. Exterminate them like the vermin they are, leave no trace," Stan suggested.

"Hmm, vampire-hating church annihilated. Wonder who did it? Fucking brilliant!" Emma yelled. "I doubt the King of Texas would approve the destruction of our international political agenda. Trust me. I know Rick. He has a temper."

"Fuck that. The great revelation is the biggest mistake we ever made."

"Don't use Godric to make your own little power play," said Isabel.

"You're completely incompetent! What's happened to Godric is that he surrounds himself with clowns!" Eric yelled.

"We invited you as a courtesy. This is not your territory. You have no voice here."

"Yeah, sheriff. Why don't you run on back down to Louisiana? We don't need you or your puppets." At super-speed, Emma grabbed Stan by the throat.

"You want to say that again?" she threatened, her fangs unsheathed. "I don't think I heard you. I'm starting to lose my hearing in my _old age_."

"I'm not going anywhere," said Eric.

"And I'm nobody's puppet," Sookie added.

"What we need is a plan," said Emma, dropping Stan.

"I have a plan," Stan coughed, massaging his throat.

"It's not a plan, it's a movie," Isabel argued.

"It's not a movie, it's a war."

"I̱líthioi. _(Idiots.)_," Emma growled.

"We take them all out at once. Pre-emptive strike."

"Of course, so the federal government can bomb us back to the Middle Ages," said Isabel.

"Things were better then."

"Then go to Romania and live on a cave, you ranchero poser."

"Godric has protected you, made you rich, and you stand here spitting and scratching like infants!" Eric yelled, throwing a vase.

"Don't any of you care that there's a traitor in your midst?" Emma asked.

"No."

"Impossible."

"Somebody tried to kidnap me from the airport," said Sookie.

"You were the only ones that knew she was coming," said Emma.

"Explain," Eric ordered.

"Unless it was you…" Stan looked at Isabel.

"Unless it was you," Isabel returned. Emma sighed dramatically, just about on the edge of ripping someone's head off.

"Look, if y'all argue any more, I'll either fall asleep or start screaming, so this is what we're gonna do: I will infiltrate the Fellowship of the Sun," Sookie resolved.

"Absolutely not," Bill replied.

"Let her speak," Emma interrupted, liking Sookie's plan.

"Since Bill glamoured the kidnapper, no one knows who I am. I'll pretend to join the church, and check out their thoughts. It'll only take a little while. Really, Bill. It's simple."

"Waste of time when we could drink them all. I want no part of this." Stan left.

"There's no easier way to find out if they're involved," Emma reasoned.

"If it leads us to Godric, we'll do it. The decision is made," Eric said.

"A few words," Bill said. The two walked into a corner. "You knew it would come to this. She was just clawed and poisoned by a creature we don't know and we can't find, and now, in Dallas, you're playing with her life."

"It's no game to me."

"All this for a colleague? For the Sheriff of Area Nine? Why?"

"Godric is my maker and Emma's child." Later that night, Emma finished a meal from her live donor when she sensed someone behind her.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to accept my invitation, Lorena."

"For a vampire, you're a terrible liar."

"I considered booking you in the room adjoining theirs, but I thought that it might be a bit…over the top."

"Why am I here, Old One?" Lorena asked reverently.

"We want the same thing, you and I." Lorena raised a brow. "Okay, Bill has something that I want, and he's in the way."

"His human?"

"No, she's something more than human."

"What is she?"

"I have my own suspicions, but whatever she is…he loves her."

"What makes you think I want him back? That I'd even take him?"

"Because you didn't come all this way just to see me."

"I haven't seen Bill Compton in over 70 years. Surely you can't think I have any pull over him whatsoever."

"You'd be surprised how loyal a child is to their maker. Just occupy him with that good old Southern charm of yours."

The next night, Eric was with Isabel, surveilling the Fellowship's headquarters.

"You have got to be joking me. This is the Fellowship of the Sun? That's their army? Scared little boys with bibles and crossbows," Eric groaned.

"Don't underestimate them. Support for their movement is growing. Their leadership camps are overflowing with self-righteous extremists, all willing and ready to die for their cause."

"That can be arranged quite easily."

"Not until we know for sure the Fellowship has Godric."

"What about your boy, Hugo, and Sookie? They've been in there too long."

"There's no sign of alarm. And if Hugo were in serious danger, I would know it. I felt something earlier, but it passed. He's okay now."

"Tell me, what is it that you find so fulfilling about human companionship?"

"They feel much more strongly than we do. Everything is urgent, exciting. Maybe because their lives are so temporary."

"Yes, they certainly don't keep well. Don't you find the prospect of him growing old, sickly, crippled, somewhat, repulsive?"

"No. I find it curious. Like a science project. How does Bill Compton feel about your interest in Sookie?"

"I'm not interested in Sookie. And even less in how Bill Compton feels. My only interest is finding Godric."

"Of course."

"Don't look at me like that. Do you really believe these fools could overpower a vampire such as Godric and hold him for weeks?"

"Stan is sure of it. But I have known Godric a long time. It's hard to imagine anything could overpower him."

"Not anything human." When they returned to the Hotel Carmilla, they met with Emma and Stan.

"Maybe the little rats run off. Joined the Fellowship themselves," said Stan.

"Careful. Hugo is mine," Isabel warned.

"Oh, please. If you cared about him so much, we'd have been in that church hours ago."

"With no plan, no exit strategy. That's why you'll never be sheriff, Stan. You don't think."

"And you're too chicken shit to act. That's why we've been getting Godric's coffee for the last 40 years. And you, Fellowship has your maker and your telepath, and still you do nothin'."

"Are you questioning my loyalty, Stan?" Eric asked.

"Just trying to return Godric to his rightful position." Emma chuckled.

"Really? 'Cause I think maybe you have another agenda. Maybe you think starting a war with the Fellowship will distract us from the truth… that you're so starved for power, you murdered Godric for his title."

"That is a lie. How dare you accuse me?"

"Emma, we don't know this. There's no proof," said Isabel.

"Not yet. But I will find it. And when I do, there will be no mercy. In the meantime, you two can stand here and quibble over his position, or run into that church and kill them all. We no longer care. If Godric is gone, nothing will bring back what we've lost."


	8. Save Yourself

"Godric, it's me!" a human yelled as the vampire grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

"You should not have come," said Godric to Sookie as he snapped the man's neck. "I'm here, my child. Down here." Eric suddenly appeared.

"Godric," he kneeled.

"You were a fool for sending humans after me.

"I had no other choice. These savages they… they seek to destroy you.

"I'm aware of what they've planned. This one betrayed you," said Godric, pointing to Hugo.

"He's with the Fellowship. They set a trap for us," Sookie explained.

"How long has it been since you've fed?"

"I require very little blood anymore," said Godric as alarms began to blare. "Save the human. Go with him. Emma is calling me to her."

"I'll go with you."

"I can take care of myself. Spill no blood on the way out. Go!" Eric and Sookie left the room while Godric went in pursuit of his maker. As he passed by a bathroom, a hand grabbed him and pulled him in the room.

"I should have never released you. You're such a pain to find," said Emma.

"Hi, Emma."

"I know what you were doing." Godric looked away ashamed. "We're going to have a long chat about this when we get home. Right now let's just get the hell out of here. I don't fancy getting staked by a bunch of humans." Emma then felt a pain in her chest. She and Godric looked at each other.

"Eric," they both murmured.

In the chapel of the church, Sookie was being held hostage when Bill entered the room with a bunch of vampires.

"Sookie!" he yelled.

"One more step, vampire, and the girl dies," said Steve Newlin, the leader of the Fellowship, pointing a gun at Sookie.

"If you shoot her, everybody here will die! Let her go now."

"Honestly, what do they see in you?" said the human. Emma jumped down from the rafters behind Newlin and grabbed him a chokehold, her fangs unsheathed to penetrate his neck.

"Don't kill him!" Sookie yelled.

"Go ahead. Murder us. Murder us before God. We are willing to die," Steve said as a large number of vampires entered the room.

"Steve Newlin!" Stan yelled. "You have pushed us too far. You expect us to sit on our thumbs while you round up your men to come lynch us? We'll kill you first. Same way we did your father."

"Murderer!" Steve yelled.

"Destroy them. All of them," said Stan, drawing his fangs. All the vampires zoomed through the room, grabbing humans to kill.

"Enough!" Godric yelled. All the vampires stopped and looked up to see Godric standing on one of the rafters. "You came for me I assume. Underling."

"Yes, Sheriff," Stan groaned.

"These people have not harmed me. You see, we can coexist. Mr. Newlin, I do not wish to create bloodshed when none is called for. Help me set an example. If we leave you in peace, will you do the same?"

"I will not negotiate with subhumans! Kill me. Do it. Jesus will protect me." Emma rolled her eyes in disgust and threw Newlin on the ground.

"I'd rather eat a squirrel than sully my taste buds with your blood," Emma growled.

"Emma and I are actually older than your Jesus. I wish I could have known him, but I missed it," said Godric as Emma removed the silver chains off her husband.

"He wasn't that much fun, Godric. No sense of humor and could not let loose if his life depended on it," Emma retorted.

"Good people, who of you is willing to die for this man's madness?" Godric asked the members of the Fellowship. The room was silent. "That's what I thought. Stand down, everyone. People, go home. It's over now."

"Please don't leave me," said Steve as people began to shuffle out of the church.

"I daresay my faith in humankind is stronger than yours. Come, my children."

"Sir, after what these humans have done to you…" Stan said.

"I said come, Stan."

After all the vampires left the Fellowship, a party was held at Godric's home. As Emma walked away from the drink cart, she was cornered in a hallway by Bill.

"I don't like being touched," said Emma to Bill as she removed his hand from her arm.

"Believe me, I do not like touching you. Your contact with Sookie will cease from this moment."

"That's hardly your decision."

"Calling in my maker is feeble and desperate even for you."

"Are you picking a fight? I'd like to see you try." Emma laughed and then walked away to talk with her progeny. Suddenly, the party was interrupted by Isabel who brought Hugo to Godric.

"This is the one who betrayed us," Isabel said, holding back her tears.

"Hugo," Godric said. "He's your human, is he not?" Isabel nodded. "Do you love him?"

"I… I thought I did."

"It appears you love him still."

"I do. I'm sorry. But you are my sheriff. Do with him as you please."

"You are free to go," said Godric to the human.

"What?" Stan growled.

"The human is free to go. And do not return. I fear it is not safe for you here."

"This is a travesty," Stan commented.

"This is my verdict. Eric, escort them out. Make sure he leaves unharmed."

"Yes, Godric."

"Thank you. Thank you, Sheriff," said Isabel before leaving with Eric and her human. A few minutes later, Emma spoke privately with her progeny.

"Hugo's been dispatched," Emma reported. "Eric told him not to stop driving until he reached the Mexican border. I've arranged for an AB-negative human for you. Extremely rare."

"Thank you. I'm not hungry."

"You have to feed eventually. I doubt the Fellowship had anything to offer."

"I'm alright, Emmalyne. They didn't treat me badly. You'd be shocked at how ordinary most of them are."

"They do nothing but fan the flames of hatred for us. It'd be wise for you to remember that."

"Let's be honest. We are frightening. After thousands of years, we haven't evolved. We've only grown more brutal, more predatory. I don't see the danger in treating humans as equals. The Fellowship of the Sun arose because we never did so."

"Is that why you wouldn't fight when they took you?"

"I could have killed every last one of them within minutes. And what would that have proven?" As Emma and Godric continued to speak, Lorena arrived at the party and approached Sookie.

"Hello there. I'm Lorena."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Sookie."

"Yes. You are what all the fuss is about."

"Excuse me?"

"Aren't you a morsel?"

"I'm sorry. Who are you?"

"Well, we have a mutual friend."

"Bill?"

"That's right. Funny he never mentioned me. I practically made him what he is today," said Lorena as Bill entered the room.

"Lorena," he muttered.

"Oh, hello, darling. I was just getting to know your plaything. You always did like to prey on the innocent."

"Bill, is this your maker?"

"She released me years ago. She no longer has any hold over me."

"I wouldn't say that. We had a marvelous night in your hotel room."

"What?" Sookie asked.

"Did you know your boyfriend hit me over the head with a 52-inch plasma television earlier tonight? Everyone says they're so thin and light, but let me tell you, when wielded properly, it's quite a weapon."

"You did?" Sookie asked Bill.

"Lorena, you need to leave."

"I hope he doesn't pull the same shenanigans with you. There's no excuse for domestic violence."

"What she has failed to mention is that she was holding me prisoner."

"We were just catching up. You must have been worried sick, wondering where he was. I admit it. It got a bit heated. But you know how old lovers can get sometimes."

"Do not touch him," Sookie spat.

"My, we're feisty too. You're no more than a blood bag. You cannot win this."

"I've already won. Bill chose me. And yet you still won't give up. Don't you have any shame?"

"Sookie, stop."

"I'd listen to him. Run away, little girl. William and I love each other."

"You've gone mad," said Bill. "Get out."

"Maybe you do love him. Who am I to guess? But he doesn't love you. He never has, and that we both know."

"Take those words back or they shall be your last," said Lorena, unleashing her fangs.

"Go find someone else! You've lost this one!" Lorena pushed Bill out of the way and was about to bite Sookie when Godric grabbed her by the neck.

"Retract. Your. Fangs. Now." Lorena did as she was ordered. "I neither know nor care who you are. But in this area and certainly in this nest, I am the authority. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sheriff."

"This human has proven herself to be a courageous and loyal friend to our kind. And yet you treat her like a child does a dragonfly, pulling off wings for sport. No wonder they hate us."

"She provoked me."

"And you provoked me. You disrupted the peace in my own home. I could snap you like a twig. Yet I haven't. Now, why is that?"

"It's… your choice."

"Indeed it is. You're an old vampire. I can tell. You've had hundreds of years to better yourself, yet you haven't. You are still a savage, and I fear for all of us, humans and vampires, if this behavior persists," said Godric before turning to Bill. "You. You seem to know her."

"Yes, sheriff."

"Escort her from the nest," Godric said before turning back to Lorena, "I wish you out of my area before dawn." After the two left, a man entered the party.

"Excuse me, everyone. If I could have your attention. My name is Luke McDonald. I'm a member of the Fellowship of the Sun. And I have a message for you all from Reverend Steve Newlin." He opened his jacket and there was a bomb with chains around him. He detonated and Bill watched in terror from outside as the windows in the house blew out.


	9. Comes And Goes

Smoke billowed from the house as Eric moved over, having protected Emma from the silver blast. A few minutes later, vampires were helping others from the nest and humans up from the rubble.

"Who's dead?" Godric asked.

"Stan, Paolo, Catherine, two human companions," Isabel replied.

"It wasn't a very good bomb," Emma added.

"They may come back. Go to the Hotel Carmilla. They've been alerted. Security is in place," Godric ordered.

The next night, the AVL arrived, headed by Nan Flannagan.

"Do you have any fucking idea of the PR mess you've made? And who fucking has to clean that shit up? Me. Not you, me. I should drain every one of you bastards."

"Stan went after the church on his own. None of us knew anything about it," said Eric.

"Oh, really. Because everyone who met Stan in the last 300 years knew he had a kink about slaughtering humans. But you, his nest mates, his sheriff, had no clue?"

"And how were we supposed to know that this time he meant it?" Isabel asked.

"Not my problem." She turned to Godric. "Yours."

"Don't talk to him that way," Eric demanded as Emma watched the exchange. She tried to hold back her temper, but Nan was truly testing her limited patience.

"Don't talk to me that way. Let's get to the point. How did they manage to abduct you?"

"They would have taken one of us sooner or later. I offered myself."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"They wanted you to meet the sun and you were willing?"

"What do you think?"

"I think you're out of your mind. And then I hear about a traitor."

"Irrelevant. Only a rumor, I'll take full responsibility."

"You bet you will."

"You cold bitch," Emma muttered.

"Listen, this is a national vampire disaster and nobody at the top has any sympathy for any of you. Sheriff, you fucked up. You're fired."

"I agree. Of course, Isabel should take over. She had no part in my disgrace."

"Godric, fight back," Emma said.

"What are you saying? She's a bureaucrat. You don't have to take shit from her!" Eric yelled.

"I'm to blame. I should have contained Stan the second Godric went missing," Isabel said.

"Isabel," Godric warned. "I remove myself from all positions of authority."

"Works for me," Nan smirked. Emma stood up, prepared to take on the young, smug vampire.

"Emma, gör det inte. _(Don't)_," Eric whispered as he grabbed his wife's arm.

"It doesn't matter, Emmalyne," Godric added.

"You're lucky I don't rip you to pieces, Flanagan."

"I'd like to see you try."

"You may work for the Authority. But just remember…even they can't keep an eye on you at all times."

"Godric, come to my suite to fill out the forms," said Nan.

"Soon. First I have something to say. I'm sorry. I apologize for all the harm I've caused, for all our lost ones, human and vampire. I will make amends. I swear it." Eric then realized through his maker-childe bond what Godric was planning. He looked at Emma and she looked down. She knew as well.

"Take it easy. It's just a few signatures," said Nan as she left with her two vampire guards.

"Nej. _(No.)_," said Eric, blocking Godric's way.

"Titta I mitt hjärta. _(Look in my heart.)_," Godric replied.

"Du måste lyssna på mig. _(You have to listen to me.)_"

"Det finns inget att säga. _(There's nothing to say.)_"

"Det finns! _(There is!)_," Eric pushed.

"På taket. _(On the roof.)_" Godric then left, Eric hot on his heels.

"What was that about?" Sookie asked.

"You don't want to know," said Emma solemnly as she followed Eric to the roof.

"Three thousand years is enough," said Godric.

"I can't accept this. It's insanity," Eric replied.

"Our existence is insanity. We don't belong here."

"But we are here."

"It's not right. We're not right."

"You taught me there is no right or wrong, only survival or death."

"I told a lie, as it turns out."

"I will keep you alive by force."

"Even if you could, why would you be so cruel?"

"Godric, gör det inte. _(Don't do it.)_," Eric cried, bloody tears running down her face.

"Det finns århundraden av tro och kärlek mellan oss. (_There are centuries of faith and love between us.)_"

"Vänligen. Snälla, Godric. _(Please. Please, Godric.)_"

"My son. Let me go."

"I won't let you die alone."

"Yes, you will. You have much to live for. As your Maker, I command you." Eric felt the tug in his heart to leave the roof.

As he walked away, Emma whispered, "I'll stay with him. As long as it takes." Eric then left.

"It won't take long. Not at my age," said Godric. "I always imagined you'd be here with me, Daywalker. To see the sun once again. What is it like?"

"It's beautiful. You know, it wasn't very smart. The Fellowship of the Sun part."

"I know. I thought it might fix everything somehow. But I don't think like a vampire any more. You'll care for him? Eric."

"I always have. Are you afraid?"

"No. No, I'm full of joy."

"But the pain…"

"I want to burn."

"Well, I'm afraid for you."

"Three thousand years, and I can still be surprised."

"Goodbye, Godric," Emma whispered as the sun rose and Godric burned, his ashes floating in the wind. A lone bloody tear trailed down Emma's cheek and she quickly wiped it away. As she returned inside the building, she was struck by Eric's pain. She immediately closed her blood bond with Eric a little. She needed to be strong for him.

As she walked inside their room, she saw Eric lying on his side in front of the fireplace, crying silently.

"Godric is gone," Eric said.

"I know. I'm so sorry," Emma replied, lying down in front of him and stroking his cheek. "I love you." Emma licked his bloody tears away and Eric pulled his lips to hers. They briefly separated so they could pull each other's clothes off. Emma pushed Eric onto his back and kissed his neck. Even if it was fleeting, Emma would take away his pain by giving him pleasure.

"Feed," she whispered. Eric didn't hesitate. His fangs zeroed in on Emma's carotid artery instantly and he moaned at the taste of her blood. It didn't matter how many times he fed upon her. Her taste was better every time. Eric ground against her and he groaned as he felt she was already wet. He moved his hand down to her center and she bucked at his touch. "Eric," she moaned as he slid one finger into her. With a second finger, Emma writhed against his hand and was soon thrown over the cliff of ecstasy. He flipped her over and Emma opened her legs to his throbbing cock. He gave her a chaste kiss before thrusting inside her.

They groaned at the swift penetration. Emma's back arched against Eric as he moved inside her. As she met every movement, her heel dug into his back, he pinned her hands to the floor and sank his fangs into her neck again. He only took a few sips, just needing to feel more of her presence inside of him.

With a few last thrusts, they lost themselves in each other. As Emma gasped for an unneeded breath, Eric yelled her name in completion. His face found its home in the crook of her neck as her muscles squeezed everything he had. Eric pulled a white throw from the couch over their bodies and as he stroked her messy curls, the two vampires fell asleep.


	10. Evil Is Going On

"So why should we help you, shifter?" Emma asked, eyeing Sam and the two human children he'd come with to Fangtasia.

"Because I need your help. We need it. And hopefully someday I might be able to give you somethin' you need."

"Can you give me Sookie Stackhouse?"

"No."

"That's a shame. That would be a tribute we would not soon forget."

"I'm not here to give you tribute."

"No, you're here to request help based on a hypothetical future in which you return the favor. But you are known to not be friendly toward those like me. Why should I trust you?" Eric asked.

"Because until somebody starts trusting somebody, we're all single targets just ripe for the picking."

"I have no knowledge of this maenad creature, although I suspect it's the bullheaded beast that passed through recently. Right?"

"That thing owes me a pair of shoes," Pam piped up.

"So can you help us or not?"

"I do know someone who might me able to offer something useful. Might… be able to."

"Our almost stepdaddy hated vampires, but we don't," said one of the children. "He went on a vacation with Jesus."

"You make me so happy I never had any of you," Emma snapped.

"Oh, come on, Emmy. They're funny. They're like humans, but miniature. Teacup humans," said Eric.

"Jag hatar dem. De är dumma. _(I hate them. They're so stupid.)_"

"Men läcker. _(But delicious.)_"

"So can you call this other person who might be able to…"

"Better yet, I'll go see her. But I must leave right away," Eric interrupted Sam.

"No problem."

"I'll walk you out."

"Vänligen få dessa fruktansvärda saker ur här. Jag kommer att lukta dem i en vecka. _(Please get those horrible things out of here. I'll be smelling them for a week.)_," Emma replied as Eric laughed. When Eric arrived in New Orleans at the Queen's Mansion, she saw Bill by the entryway.

"What are you doing here?" Bill asked.

"Hoping the queen can tell me how to kick a maenad's ass."

"Now why would you want to do that? So that you'll look like a hero to Sookie?"

"Oh, Billy. This paranoia, it's really quite unbecoming."

"No. That was really quite desperate of you, having Emma call in my maker, thinking she'd pull me away from Sookie."

"You're calling me desperate? I wasn't the one who fed her your own blood the very night you met."

"How do you know that?"

"So you're not denying it?"

"I was saving her life."

"Isn't that convenient?"

"You stay away from Sookie, Eric. Or I will tell the queen that you're forcing humans to sell vampire blood for you."

"You wouldn't."

"I won't, as long as you never come close to Sookie ever again."

"I don't like threats, Bill."

"Neither do I." Bill walked away. Later that night, Eric was playing Yahtzee with Sophie-Anne and two of her humans.

"How long does this game go on for?" Eric asked.

"We play to 5 million," Sophie-Anne replied.

"She's way ahead," said Hadley.

"It's pure luck. Yahtzee is the most egalitarian game in the world. You could be my social, physical, or intellectual inferior, but your chances are equal to mine. It's the perfect antidote for this world, where things such as superiority and inferiority do matter. Speaking of which, I heard about your maker. That blows."

"Thank you. Your Majesty is very kind."

"Did you know that there's a maenad in Renard Parish?"

"Yes, that is the reason I came to see you."

"I wouldn't get involved if I were you. Stick to what you're good at. I gave William Compton a few bits of hand-me-down folklore we've accumulated over the centuries, but who knows if it's gospel or gorilla shit? You know, I think he's monogamous with his human."

"He is in love with her, yes."

"Of course he would be with her. She's not entirely human. Have you tasted her?"

"Sadly, no."

"Don't. Ever. One vampire falling in love is bad enough."

"Yes, Bill Compton certainly has a knack for finding trouble."

"For instance, how does he know I'm having you sell vampire blood? The guards hear everything."

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry. There's no way he could…"

"That is really bad."

"He does not know you are supplying it."

"He'd better not. I'm holding you responsible. You may be one of the strongest, oldest vampire in my queendom and your wife may be a Chancellor, but if I wanted, I could own your fangs as earrings. Understand?"

"I will take care of Bill Compton. Personally."


	11. Deeper Into You

"If you don't go faster, I will," Eric growled as Emma pushed down on his cock in the bathtub, water rippling from the movement.

"Patience is a virtue, Eric."

"Well, I never was very good at virtue." Giggling, Emma rode him faster and her moans about made him cum. His hand wrapped around her neck and pulled her in for a kiss so searing, it brought on their mutual release. Meanwhile, Pam was downstairs when she heard a knock at the door. Pam opened the door and was surprised to see Sookie, although her face didn't show it.

"Now I don't remember telling you lavender was my favorite color," Pam greeted.

"I'm in no mood for lesbian weirdness tonight, Pam. Where's Bill?"

"I have no idea."

"Then where's Eric?"

"He and Emma are a bit indisposed at the moment."

"Indisposed doing what?" A slight smile pulled at Pam's lips as she shrugged. "I could take you to them if you like."

"Please."

"Follow me." They walked down a dark hallway and Pam showed Sookie to Emma and Eric's warmly lit bedroom. Moans and screams could be heard from the bathroom as Sookie opened the door.

"We really need to get better security, dear," said Emma, naked in the tub.

"Hmm. What brings you to our humble abode, Miss Stackhouse? I hope it's something important. I don't like to be interrupted."

"Bill's been kidnapped and I think you did it."

"I didn't," Eric huffed as he leaned back against porcelain tub and took a sip from a glass of wine mixed with blood. "Any other theories?"

"I'm still on this one thank you very much. Where were you around 11 o'clock?"

"Here with Emma."

"Doing this? For the last six hours?"

"You seem surprised. Is Bill's stamina not up to snuff?"

"Tell me about Lorena. If you don't have him, she does."

"Solid theory. But given the tenor of your last run in with Miss Krasiki, I think its better if I dealt with her instead."

"How do I know you will?"

"Because if Bill was in fact kidnapped by human or vampire, I am duty bound as sheriff of the area in which he resides to find him."

"Then do it," said Sookie, beginning to walk away. "By the way, you owe me $10,000." When Sookie left, Eric growled in frustration and reached for his phone. Emma tried to calm him with a back massage.

"Do you remember our previous conversation?" Eric asked a man on the other line. "I asked you for one thing. Bring me Bill Compton. And you said 'Done.' So why wasn't it done?"

"I already told you, Sheriff. By the time we got to the restaurant, he was gone. There was a cop car."

"You failed me. How could you fail me! Find him. Or tomorrow's sunset will be your last."

"Eric," Emma chastised.

"But sunrise is in a couple minutes," said the man on the other line.

"Well, then I recommend you find a day walker you can trust to find him for you. What?" Eric said to Emma after a beat.

"You're losing it."

"How is that helpful, Emma?"

"You need to call the Queen," Pam suggested.

"The Queen is the last person we need finding out about this."

"You're not the only one whose fate rests in the balance here."

"And what do you think the Queen will do if I tell her I lost the one vampire who can link her to the dealing of vampire blood, Pam. That I have no idea where he is."

"The better question is what do you think she'll do if she finds out from somebody else? Call the Queen."

"There are times when I seek your counsel, Pamela. Now is not one of those times."

"Fine. I'm going to ground then." Pam left in a flurry and Emma shot him a look.

"What?"

"She's right. You need to tell the Queen."

The next night, Eric was occupied with a meeting including the Queen of Virginia and the Magister.

"Your Highness. Magister," Eric greeted.

"Mister Northman. I haven't seen you since the Bill Compton trial," the Magister replied.

"Yes. It's been too long. May I ask what brings you to Fangtasia?"

"We need to talk. You should probably close up," said Sophie-Anne, noticing the busy crowd at the bar.

"We can use my office."

"It's bugged."

"How do you know this?"

"Because I'm the one who bugged it. It's how I know I can trust you. Alright! Everyone out! Now!"

"Trouble abounds in your fair state," said the Magister after everyone left.

"Tell me," Eric urged.

"It seems your idyllic little home is competing to be the V capital of the world."

"Can you believe it? I'm so embarrassed. Naturally, I told the Magister you were the only vampire in my kingdom that could be trusted with this," said the queen.

"The blood is sacred. Wasting it on anything but procreation is blasphemy," said the Magister.

"Madness," Sophie-Anne returned.

"Desecration," Eric added.

"Have you noticed an uptick of users in your end of the woods? Maybe even here in your club?" the Magister asked.

"I haven't. No."

"See, that surprising to me. As every other Sheriff I've spoken to has. The amounts are so great in fact that we can only assume a vampire is responsible."

"An act of self loathing so shameful that whoever is responsible should fall on his own stake," said Sophie-Anne.

"Respectfully, Magister I'm not sure I follow your logic," said Eric.

"If your average run of the mill drainers were behind this, it would stand to reason said drainers would need vampires to drain. Which means there would be missing vampires and plenty of them. How many vampires have gone missing in your area?"

"None, Magister."

"So now do you follow my logic?"

"I do and I will look into the matter."

"Good and I will expect results."

"You will have them."

"When we do find the vampire that's responsible, how will you punish him?" Sophie-Anne asked.

"Or her," Eric added, getting a slight glare from Sophie-Anne.

"And will it be in public?"

"Of course one's who's proven guilty of such a crime must be made an example of. This kind of moral anarchy can't be allowed," the Magister answered.

"Agreed."

"To a speedy resolution."

"The speedier the better," Sophie-Anne added before the Magister left. "Is it just me or is he really dull? I mean isn't moral anarchy kind of the point? I can't think of anything more depressing than living by the law forever."

"Your Highness."

"Yes?"

"Forgive me, but I don't sense the same kind of relief you do."

"You don't think he believed us?"

"Not entirely. No."

"Then I suggest you sell everything you have as soon as possible."

"Excuse me?"

"The pigs at the IRS are breathing down my neck. I need money. Now. Sell the blood at half price if you have to. I don't care what it takes. Just move the product and then cover our tracks."

"With all due respect, your Highness, I don't believe you're considering all the angles." The queen then pinned him to the wall. They both growled at each other.

"All due respect, Mr. Northman? I'm due a lot more respect than that. And I'm sorry to compromise your manhood like this, but hell hath no fury like a vampire queen broke. Move. The. Blood." She removed her grip on his groin and let him go.

"There's something I couldn't tell you in front of the Magister. Bill Compton's gone missing, kidnapped perhaps."

"I don't care. Move the blood."

"He's the one vampire that knows about our arrangement, my side at least."

"Then I don't understand why we're even talking about him. Let him rot. I'll show myself out."

Meanwhile, in Bon Temps, Emma was having a little chat with their V dealer, Lafayette.

"A half-off sale on V?" Lafaytte asked. "Even though the allure of this shit is how exotic and expensive it is?"

"Well then sell it for twice the price. We don't care. Just so long as it's all gone by the time we wake up tomorrow evening."

"Tomorrow?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Hookuh, I can't sell all this shit by tomorrow. I've got a cousin in trouble. She needs—" Suddenly at super speed, Emma pinned him to the wall.

"I don't know what it is about me that makes people think I want to hear about their problems. Maybe I smile too much, maybe I wear too many bright colors, but please remember, I can rip your throat out if I need to and also know that I'm not a hooker. That was a long, long time ago."

"Alright."

"You pickin' up what I'm putting down?"

"I is."

"Good," said Emma cheerfully. "I'll be back tomorrow to pick up the money."


	12. Bleed 2 Feed

When Emma arrived at Fangtasia, Eric was alone with Sookie and Bill's new progeny, Jessica. Eric was looking at a coaster with a runic symbol etched on it.

"It stands for Operation Werewolf, some kind of secret Nazi commando force from World War II," said Sookie. Suddenly, Emma gave Eric a quizzical look, but Eric sent her a sense of calm in their blood bond.

"You found this branded on a dead man's neck?" Eric asked.

"Bill summoned Jessica there. He was trying to show us who kidnapped him."

"Yeah. Nazi werewolves," Jessica added.

"That dead guy was strong and fast enough to take Bill. He had to be something supernatural. I was hoping you could tell us more."

"Never seen it before. Sorry."

"Why do I get the feeling you're blowing me off?"

"Lämna oss en stund, kära. _(Leave us for a minute, dear.)_," Eric said to Emma in Swedish.

"Let's go to the ladies' room, Jessica, and stare at ourselves in the mirror."

"Here's what I know about werewolves: There's a reason their existence has remained a myth to humans for thousands of years. They're territorial, vicious, and pathologically secretive," said Eric once Jessica and Emma left the room.

"Boy, does that sound familiar," Sookie retorted

"And here's what I know about you: You're so blinded by your obsession with Bill Compton, you're likely to run through the streets screaming 'werewolf bait,' alerting whoever has Bill that we're onto them or getting yourself killed."

"You think I'm that stupid?"

"No, I think you're human."

"Don't underestimate me."

"Don't underestimate yourself. Your life is too valuable to throw away."

"Why do you take such an interest in me?"

"Because Emma finds you fascinating and what interests her, interests me."

Meanwhile in the bathroom, Emma was reapplying her lipstick while Jessica leaned against the wall.

"So, Emma, when you're feeding on someone, how do you not kill 'em?"

"Bill didn't teach you that?" Emma asked, shocked.

"Bill doesn't want me to feed on people. And now he's gone and..."

"It's in the heartbeat. You feel it in the blood."

"Yeah?"

"And when it slows, you stop."

"Yeah, but how do you stop?"

"I think about crying children with soggy diapers. Also maggots."

"Well, let's say...that you did kill somebody by accident. What would you do with the body?" Emma chuckled. When Sookie left the bar with Jessica, Emma discreetly followed the girls and met up with Sookie at her house.

"What are you doing here?" Sookie asked. "Do you know something about Bill?"

"Eric lied to you. It was in 1945. Germany. One of the few times in the 1900s where Eric and I weren't fighting like cats and dogs," Emma admitted.

_Germany, 1945_

Eric had a female werewolf pinned to the wall of a decrepit house and was intensely interrogating her as Godric and Emma watched.

"Wer ist dein Herr? _(Who is your master?)_" Eric asked in German.

"Gib mir dein Blut und ich werde Ihnen sagen. (_Give me your blood and I will tell you.)_"

"Blodet är heligt, Eric. _(The blood is sacred.)_," Godric warned. Eric ignored his sire and fed the werewolf his blood.

"Wer ist dein Herr? _(Who is your master?)_" Eric repeated. With the added strength of vampire blood, the werewolf jumped on Eric, attempting to kill him, but Emma beheaded the wolf.

"Vi är vampyrer. Aldrig vara i händerna på dina känslor. Dominerar dem. Vi kommer att hitta honom, jag lovar. Tålamod. (_We are vampires. Never be at the mercy of your emotions. Dominate them. We will find him, I promise. Patience.)_," Emma replied as Eric pushed the werewolf's body off him.

_Bon Temps, Present Day_

"You three were in the SS?"

"We posed as whatever would help us in our search."

"But you were hunting the Nazi werewolves?"

"The symbol is runic. This, uh, pack dates back a lot farther than the Nazi Party."

"So they aren't Nazis?"

"No, they're much more than that. These are not ordinary werewolves. They're organized, well-funded, highly trained, and fuelled by vampire blood. The Authority's been after them for years."

"Why didn't Eric tell me that?"

"The better question is why am I risking everything to tell you now? My loyalty is not to Bill. In fact, it would be advantageous for me in numerous ways if he were never found. But..."

"But?"

"I owe you. And I don't like owing people."

"When you say you were risking everything to tell me, what did that mean?"

"The goal tonight was to keep you out of danger, not put you in more of it." Suddenly, Emma caught a scent. "Invite me in."

"You can't bully your way into—"

"Invite me in now!" Emma yelled, her fangs present

"Mrs. Northman, will you please come in?" Emma walked into the house and hissed at the wolf inside the house. A gunshot then rang out.


	13. Coming Down

Emma walked into the house and hissed at the wolf inside the house. Sookie shot the wolf with a shotgun she kept in the corner, but Emma stepped in front of the bullet, taking a hit. "Emma!"

"Stay back. Don't shoot him. He knows."

"He knows what?" Sookie asked as Emma grabbed the wolf by the neck.

"Who do you work for?" Emma asked as the wolf shifted back into a man. "Who sent you! For the last time: Who is your master?"

"If I tell you, I'm as dead as you are. You might as well kill me now."

"As you wish." Emma sank her fangs into the man's neck, draining him of his blood. "Hmm. It seems I ruined your rug."

Later, Emma had finished burying the wolf in the cemetery next to Sookie's house.

"The ground's already disturbed, so no one would think to dig again," Emma said.

"So much for keeping him alive so we could question him."

"Well, that's what I was planning."

"But then you saw his brand."

"Brings back many memories. Unpleasant ones."

"If you'd given me a chance to listen to his thoughts…"

"You have no concept of how dangerous werewolves are. They're virtually silent. They have no fear of death. And when they've had a bit of our blood, their strength can be a challenge. Even for me."

"Thanks for saving my life."

"I'll walk you back."

"Do you know anyone named Jackson? It's the only thing I could make out. Maybe that's the person he's working for."

"Jackson is where he lives. He had a Mississippi accent. Can't you people tell the difference?"

"Oh, my God, he's from Jackson? Do you think that's where Bill is? Emma, we have to go, like yesterday."

"Eric and I can't. Not yet. The problems of the world consist of more than finding your missing boyfriend. You shouldn't go by yourself, either. These werewolves are looking for you. You're no good to Bill or to Eric and I if you're dead."

"How can you expect me to sit around when we have a lead?

"It'll be morning by the time you get to Jackson. If you're planning on rescuing a vampire during daylight I have seriously overestimated your intelligence. At least take the day to think it over."

"Fine. I'll leave tomorrow. But I have to go. Bill would do it for me. I don't expect you to understand."

"I understand very well. Stay out of trouble, Miss Stackhouse. It'll do us both a favor."

Meanwhile, Eric was outside Lafayette's house, honking the horn of a car.

"God…this motherfucker," Lafayette muttered.

"Hello, sweetheart. Hop in."

"Listen. Listen, I moved what I could. I mean, even at half off, the shit is still expensive," said Lafayette once he got inside the car. "I'm gonna need some more time."

"Relax. You'll ruin your new ride."

"Huh?"

"Emma's been a bit harsh lately. She's under a lot of pressure and we haven't had sex within the last twenty-four hours. I thought it would be a good time for a small gift to my, uh, top salesman."

"What's the catch?"

"Well, you'll have to pay the insurance. I'm not an idiot. And I'm gonna have to sell you the car for $1 to avoid that pesky gift tax. Mind you, it may look a little, uh, out of place parked outside of that strange plywood hut you live in."

"No, I ain't taking on no more of your shit."

"You have great value, Lafayette. You're discreet, efficient, and you have a network of loyal customers with enormous disposable income. You could become quite wealthy if you wanted to."

"I don't need no more money."

"No? I never thought of you as lacking in ambition. But perhaps you're content with moth-eaten afghans and secondhand furniture."

"I'll think about it."

"Don't make me wait too long. You can owe me the dollar."

The next night, Eric and Emma were preparing to leave the house to meet Pam at Fangtasia when she called him.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"We're being raided," Pam said.

"Na és? Hívja az amerikai Vampire Liga kapják majd a jogászok rajta. _(So? Call the American Vampire League, they'll get their lawyers on it.)_" Eric said in Swedish in case any one had tapped the phone line.

"Ez nem a rendőrség. A Magister. _(It's not the police. The Magister.)_"

"Jövök már ott. _(I'm coming there now.)_"

"Ne légy hülye. Hagyja, amíg még lehet. Ők keresik a V, Eric. A királynő meg minket. _(Don't be stupid. Leave while you still can. They're looking for the V, Eric. The Queen set us up.)_," Pam said before hanging up, hearing the magister walk down the stairs to the basement.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are."

"Magister. What a pleasant surprise."

"Oh, there's nothing pleasant about this," said the Magister as one of his guards held up a case containing vampire blood. "This is blasphemy. Take her." A few minutes later, Emma and Eric arrived just as the Magister began to torture Pam with silver.

"Let her go!" Eric ordered. "I am who you want. But I have been framed."

"'Oh, you've got the wrong man. My dog ate my homework. I saw Goody Osburn with the devil.' Excuses are one thing I can assure you do not get better with age. Do you deny the blood was being sold in this area?"

"Not on mine or Emma's orders."

"Then on whose? Your queen's? What shall it be? Desecration of the blood or treason against your regent? Both among the most dire of crimes."

"It was Bill! Bill Compton!" Emma piped up. "He's gone missing. You've seen yourself how easily he betrays our kind for personal gain. I believe he is behind this, and I have been gathering evidence to bring him before the Authority. This is my investigation, Magister, now let me finish it."

"They say the loss of a child is the deepest of despair. Two days, Mr. Northman, or she dies. A true death."


	14. Fastest Girl In Town

"This is completely unnecessary. I told you we come in peace," said Eric as he and Emma were led into the King of Mississippi's mansion by the king's security team.

"Let them go, you idiots," said Talbot, spotting Emma's pendant. "That woman is a member of The Authority."

"Eric Northman, sheriff, Louisiana Area 5. My wife, Emma."

"I know who she is. Talbot, royal consort. Russell!" Talbot showed Eric and Emma into the dining room.

"Emmalyne! What a pleasant surprise! It's been too long!" Russell said before hugging Emma and kissing her on the cheek.

"I concur, Russell. This is my husband, Eric. We've come to request permission to hunt your territory for the vampire missing from his area."

"I appreciate the courtesy. It's very old-world."

"Nobody has manners anymore. It was all so beautiful once," Talbot added.

"Your fugitive, what's his name?"

"Bill Compton. I'm responsible for him, and, uh, I'm ashamed to admit it, but he's wanted for selling vampire blood," Eric replied.

"Oh, no, no. That's heinous. Are you sure? Let's ask him." Bill then entered the room.

"Voilà. He's not missing, and he's way too square to deal V," said Talbot.

"You tried to pin that on me?" Bill asked.

"We all know it's your queen behind this, Northman."

"And that you did the selling for her," Bill added.

"You see, Mr. Compton has accepted a position in my court and therefore keeps nothing from me."

"You're here of your own accord?" Emma asked.

"Yes."

"Hmm. Interesting."

"Your Majesty...I confess. I sold the blood at my queen's command and accused Bill to protect her."

"I'm surprised you allowed this Emmalyne."

"I have other interests then bending to the Authority's whims. Besides, what they don't know won't hurt them."

"So, what do I do now? Unless I give the Magister Compton, he'll murder my progeny," said Eric.

"Darling, so sad," said Talbot.

"The Magister is a nasty little...anachronistic toad, a ridiculous remnant of the Middle Ages. The only power he has over us is the power we give him. There may be a way to solve all our problems. Sleep here."

"You're more than welcome."

"How could we refuse?"

"Sheriff, please accept by apologies. There's another matter to which I must attend to before I go to ground."

"Trouble?"

"Not really. More of an experiment. Emma, would you like to join me?"

"I'd be delighted, Russell."

"Eric, indulge my boy, Talbot, will you? Let him give you the full tour. Makes him positively blithe."

"Sir, I have a child of my own in the Magister's bony hands. If you could help as soon as poss..."

"All in good time, Eric." Russell left with Emma just as Lorena arrived.

"You," Lorena said, surprised.

"You," Eric replied.

"Boys only," Talbot added.

"Show me everything."

Meanwhile, Emma and Russell were in a limo.

"Tell me, Emmalyne. Can I trust you? Last time I saw you, you tried to rip my heart out."

"Russell, darling, you were interrupting my meal. Besides that was centuries ago. Times have changed as have I."

"And what about your husband?"

"He is of my line and very dear to me. A slight to him is a slight to me."

"I see."

Back at Russell's mansion, Talbot was showing Eric around.

"Ooh. What is this?" Eric asked, pulling out a scroll from a cabinet.

"Japanese vampire erotica from the 16th century. Exquisite detail."

"You learn any tricks?"

"Eric, you know as well as I there's nothing new except someone new."

"Well, it's an eclectic collection."

"Oh, you should see what we have in storage. Russell is a greedy little boy. He wants what he wants and he takes it. He's the same way about people. Watch out."

"And this?" Eric asked, spotting a familiar crown.

"Some random tribal crown. He must have a hundred of them. Uh, this one's, uh, Scythian, I think."

"Viking," Eric corrected as he masked his anger. Russell. He was the one who murdered his family, who took his father's crown. An hour later, Emma and Russell returned with Sookie in their custody. Emma kicked Bill into the house.

"Well, guess who turned out to be completely unworthy of our trust," said Russell.

"What's happened?" Lorena asked.

"He's been hiding something very interesting from us all." Suddenly, Bill killed the guards and attempted to kill Russell, but the old vampire was too strong for Bill.

"Bill!" Sookie yelled.

"Restrain her!" Emma yelled. Eric grabbed the human.

"Are you serious? I am almost 3000 years old," Russell chastised.

"Emma, get her out of here, please," Bill begged. However, Emma did no such thing. She only brought Sookie to the king.

"Emma, what are you doing?" Sookie asked.

"I wouldn't let go of this if I were you," Emma said to the king. "I don't know what it is, but I do know it's quite valuable. I've not had the pleasure of tasting it, but all my instincts say it would be quite extraordinary."

"I will never, ever forgive you for this," Sookie said. Emma then laughed.

"It thinks we're equals."

"Oh, but it's wrong. Isn't it?" Russell asked.

"Indeed."

"Take Miss Stackhouse into the library, Eric. I wanna ask her a few questions," Russell said before leaving.

"Please tell me you were just doing that for the king's benefit," Sookie said as Eric moved her into the library.

"No one plays the king of Mississippi and gets away with it. I certainly have no intentions of trying."

"Why are you even here? I thought you had other things to deal with."

"Yeah, I do, and I need to think. So please don't take this the wrong way, but shut up."

"Eric, please, I'm begging you..." Eric silenced her by placing a hand against her mouth.

"Thank you," Eric sighed.

The following night, Russell left the mansion with Emma and Eric, leaving for Louisiana.

"Tell me, Eric. What exactly is your relationship with Miss Stackhouse?" Russell asked.

"Well, her lover, Bill Compton, is, um…was a constituent of mine. I'd keep an eye on that because I knew she was of interest to the queen."

"So no personal attachments?"

"I do not get attached to humans."

"Still, you have to admit. She is quite delectable."

"My tastes lie elsewhere." Eric took Emma's hand and kissed it.

"Lorena thinks you killed one of my werewolves."

"I killed a werewolf. I was not aware it belonged to you," Emma answered.

"To save Sookie?"

"To save myself. I was at her house to question her regarding Bill's disappearance, and it attacked me."

"Only a very young and very foolish vampire could be killed by a werewolf. You are neither."

"Only a vampire with no self-respect would allow a werewolf who attacked him to remain alive. They are base, primitive creatures, and I will freely admit that I despise them. You're the only vampire I know who doesn't feel the same way."

"Of course I do. They're more dog than man. Stupider than dogs, actually. But it seems beneficial to me to use them rather than destroy them."

"How exactly do you use them?"

"I give them the blood. Oh, come, now. I know that you yourself have been dealing, so don't pretend to be a vampire fundamentalist. If all the supernaturals would stop squabbling among themselves and unite, we could conquer humans in a matter of days."

"This is your plan?"

"I prefer to call it my dream."

"Well, I like this dream," Eric replied.

"Throughout history, I have aligned myself with or destroyed those humans in power, hoping to make a dent in mankind's race to oblivion. What other creature actively destroys its own habitat?"

"Hey, you're preaching to the choir."

"I mean, do you remember how the air used to smell, Emma? How humans used to smell? How they used to taste?"

"I remember everything."

"Preening little fool that he was, Adolf was right about one thing. There is a master race. It's just not the human race."

"Shouldn't we have taken the I-12 exit?" Eric asked.

"Oh, we're not going to Shreveport. Oh, don't worry. We'll deal with your Magister problem in time."

At Sophie-Anne's mansion, she was on the floor with multiple lottery tickets. She was desperate for money with the IRS breathing down her neck.

"Hadley, Ludis, go down to the Circle K. Get me a couple hundred more Deuces Wild tickets. Mama's feeling lucky tonight," Sophie-Anne said.

"Mama couldn't be more wrong," said Russell, entering the room.

"You killed my guards."

"Only a handful. The rest were surprisingly unwilling to die for you and have defected."

"Hadley?"

"Oh. Your human is safe. I'm not here to needlessly slaughter."

"What do you want?"

"You, my darling Sophie-Anne. I want you to accept my proposal of marriage."

"I've turned you down countless times. Why would I accept now?"

"Because in addition to never touching you, I will settle all your debts. Oh, come on. The Magister will eventually determine it was you who was selling our blood."

"I've already pinned it on Eric and Emma Northman. Is that really all you've got?"

"Well, uh, ooh, there's the IRS. The American Vampire League will let them put you in prison, make an example of you, assuage the right wing's fears about vampires running Wall Street."

"They have no dominion over me. I'm a queen."

"Please. I have known some of the finest queens who've ever lived, Emma included. You, my dear girl, are no queen."

"Go fuck yourself."

"No, sweetheart," said Emma pouncing on Sophie-Anne and pinning her to the ground. "You go fuck yourself. Oh and thank you for the compliment, Russell." Sophie-Anne struggled against Emma's grip. "Ah, ah, ah. I am older and stronger than you. I only submitted to you in the past because of respect. But you framed my husband and I. So I renounce any and all allegiance to you. We are his now."

"I refuse to grant you..."

"I will rip your head off and throw it in the pool. And I will have fun doing it. Your call. Very well, then."

"Emma," Russell said. "Sophie-Anne, yes or no?"

"Goddamn it," Sophie-Anne muttered.

"Oh, splendid. Hm. Sun will be up soon. We'll spend the day here. We'll stop by Fangtasia on our way back to Jackson," said Russell as Emma released Sophie-Anne from her grip.

"As you wish. I hope I didn't overstep any boundaries just now," said Emma to Russell.

"No, I, uh...I quite enjoyed that. Thank you."

"It is my honor and my duty, my king."

"I'll make sure your betrothed is properly restrained," said Eric, entering the room.

"Hadley! I want my Hadley!" yelled Sophie-Anne as Eric took her away.


	15. New World

"Emma, why do you take such an interest in the human?" Eric asked as his wife finished dressing.

"I'm not the only one who's taken interest in her."

"Sophie-Anne."

"Yes. Unfortunately that wretched woman caught a look at my records in Virginia. Sophie-Anne knows what I once was. And inevitably she's discovered that Sookie is the same. When I was human, I was part fae. When I was turned, all that changed though."

"So you're saying Sookie is part fae."

"Exactly."

"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that."

Later that evening, Eric, Emma, Sophie-Anne, and Russell stopped by Fangtasia to stop the Magister from executing Pam.

"Mr. Northman. It's only enough if Bill Compton is with you. Is he?" the Magister asked.

"No, Magister. But the queen of Louisiana is," Emma said.

"Our deal was..."

"I'll confess that you were correct before in suspecting me, but everything I did was at her behest," Eric explained.

"You realize, of course, you're committing treason, throwing your queen under the bus as you are."

"Oh, but she's no longer my queen or Emma's. Our loyalty is to Mississippi now."

"And Mississippi's proud to claim Mr. Northman as one of her own. Love the place. Love your vibe. We must talk franchising later."

"Russell Edgington."

"You may call me King."

"Is it true what Northman says?"

"Yes, Magister," Sophie-Anne replied.

"Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to arrest you. By the powers vested in me by the Authority..."

"The Authority? Are you serious? Who are the Authority? What gave them the authority? Nothing. No one. They took it, as I am taking it today. I no longer recognize the Authority."

"Emma, are you just going to stand by and let this vampire commit a cardinal sin without punishment? You are a Chancellor!"

"I am well aware, Magister, of just what a tough little boat Russell is putting you in and honestly, it is kind of fun," Emma giggled. "I mean really, whatever happened to vampires roaming around and having fun? The Authority's made us such a boring lot now with all these new rules. We've become brooding and all that nonsense."

"You know I'm beholden by duty to convey your blasphemy to the Authority..."

"To the authority? Well, that won't be happening," Emma smirked maliciously.

"Enough about that," Russell interrupted. "In exchange for the money she owes the IRS, Queen Sophie Anne has kindly accepted my marriage proposal."

"I had no choice."

"Your Majesty..."

"Yes, my loyal subject?" Russell asked. "Oh, we would be delighted if you would officiate the wedding for us."

"I am forbidden to conduct any rights of alignment unless specifically authori..."

"Unless specifically authorized to do so by the Authority. Yes, well, perhaps you have not quite grasped the subtext of our earlier exchange, but there's a new fucking authority in town."

"I swear fealty now and always to the one true vampire Authority in whose wisdom and justice I..."

"You pathetic fool. Blindly doing the bidding of others, just like humans. It's vampires like you who've been holding the rest of us back for centuries," Emma spat, playing along with Russell's game. In a flash, Russell removed Pam from her bindings and chained up the Magister in silver.

"You can dish it out, but you sure can't take it, can you, Magister?" Pam taunted.

"Let's see how this plays out, Pam. You can always taunt later," Eric chided.

"Can we hurry this along? I'm getting cold feet," Sophie-Anne said.

"Of course, my little pudding. This could be so much less painful if you just said the fucking words!"

"I am bound by duty to uphold the sacred laws of..." Russell held the stake tip of the Magister's cane to his heart.

"Ah, ah, ah. Your call."

"I hereby pronounce you...husband and wife."

"Thank you."

"Yes, thanks. So happy I could bleed."

"You realize, of course, the Authority will never recognize..."

"Its own irrelevancy? That's where you and I differ, Magister. I truly believe they will, and soon." Russell tasted a bit of the Magister's blood. "Andalusia, the Iberian Peninsula. Mm. Later 9th century, no? Well, whatever. It's a long enough time for you to have outgrown your blind allegiance to the Authority and their rule of law. There is only one law: The law of nature, the survival of the fittest. And we need to take this world back from the humans, not placate them with billboards and PR campaigns while they destroy it. That is not authority. That is abdicating authority."

"Your Majesty. Shall we?" Emma asked.

"We shall. Actually, no. Say hello to the true death." To all the vampires' shock, Russell beheaded the Magister with his own cane.


	16. God's Gonna Cut You Down

When Eric returned to Fangtasia, his clothes stained in blood, he found Emma in his office.

"We need sanctuary," Eric ordered as he stripped out of his clothes and into new garments from his office closet.

"What did you do!"

"I slayed a vampire. Russell's lover."

"Are you insane?"

"WHERE CAN WE GO!" Eric boomed.

"A human home would be safe. We both have been invited to Sookie's."

"Out of the question."

"You never panic. Should I be panicking?" Emma asked as one of the bar's human employee's entered the office.

"Where do you live?" Eric asked the human.

"Across the river. Why?"

"We need your house. Now," Emma explained.

"Is it because of the V-feds?" Eric walked out into the bar with Emma to see Nan Flanagan with a group of officers.

"Sorry, Miss Flanagan. The bar's closed," Eric said.

"Thank you. I already ate. Tru Blood only, of course. You can't stay out of trouble, can you? The V.R.A is two states away from ratification. I should be kissing asses in Oregon, not cleaning up after you in fuckin' Louisiana."

"I promise that there is nothing amiss in my area."

"Shut up. You're making my head hurt. Officers, silver them." Emma and Eric were then silvered while Nan and a few of her lackees searched the bar. "The downstairs is clean."

"I told you there was nothing."

"It's been wiped."

"Well, I'm a Virgo. I like to be neat."

"Your screeching fangcrush of a barmaid who's been glamored so much that she can't even remember her own last name, does know that no one ever goes down there with a mop and a promise. Suddenly, it's as sterile as an operating room."

"Doesn't prove anything."

"If only we had a Magister to decide that. Relax. It's not like you killed someone. I just need yours and Emma's official statement. That's all. Webcams for the Authority. Members of the Authority, it's Nan. Can you hear me? Good. Regarding the matter of the disappearance of our Magister, his last known whereabouts are this dump in Shreveport, Louisiana. You have before you Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area 5, along with his wife and a chancellor of the Authority, Emmalyne Northman."

"Honorable members of the Authority, I have grave news to report to you. I have discovered a pattern over the time I have walked this earth. The Turks told tales of shapeshifting jackals at the fall of Constantinople. The Aztecs were decimated by a disease from Conquistadores' were-dogs. Each time there have been wolves fueled by vampire blood. I almost found him in 1945. His wolves were in the service of the Wehrmacht. He disappeared at the end of the war and I...thought he had finally met the true death. Now he has returned."

"Do you know why?" Nan asked.

"In times of conflict, Russell Edgington inserts himself into the affairs of man."

"To what end?"

"He claims it's to prevent human from destroying the planet, and themselves, our food source."

"But the Tru Blood changed all that. They're no longer food for us. The Great Revelation..."

"Russell Edgington opposes the Great Revelation. He doesn't want to coexist with humans. He wants to subjugate them," Emma spoke up.

"The Authority will not..."

"'Fuck the Authority!' Russell's words. Verbatim," the chancellor interrupted.

"This is why he killed the Magister?"

"No, he killed the Magister, because the Magister defied him. He kidnapped Queen Sophie-Anne because she refused him. And now, if the Authority or the AVL stands in his way. Well..."

"These are treasonous allegations. Why didn't you report this?"

"I should have. But The Authority has only existed for a few hundred years. My history with Russell Edgington goes back over a millenia. My family was massacred. All of them...by wolves. I managed to kill one. And I watched him change into a man at the end of my blade. And these wolves, they are the same. Sweden...Germany, here. With all respect, I did not report Russell Edgington to you, because I want him to die at my own hands. I've waited since the day I turned for this," Eric replied.

"They want to speak with you," said Nan, holding out her earpiece to Emma.

"Yes?" Emma answered over the Bluetooth. "No, sir. I believe so. Yes." Emma then handed the device to Nan.

"Yes. Yes, I understand. I'm flying immediately to Portland. Thank you," said Nan, receiving her orders from the Authority.

"What? Is that it?" Eric asked.

"The Authorities will review your statement against the frankly strong possibility that I've lost an entire night of air time to promote the V.R.A, listening to a load of bullshit. But some do believe in a fair hearing. Americans..."

"Nan, Russell Edgington is a threat to our very existence," Emma said.

"But he is a king. One who's just donated a half million dollars to the same Vampire American League that you say he is trying to bring down. Weird, huh? Bring in a couple of coffins for Sheriff Northman and his wife. You're on lockdown until the Authority makes its ruling." Nan walked away as Eric and Emma looked at each other nervously.

The next night, Eric woke up to see Emma sitting at his desk.

"Did you sleep at all?" Eric asked, seeing Emma's nose dripping blood. She showed him a rag stained with blood.

"I'm fine."

"The guards still outside?" Emma nodded.

"Eric, whatever the Authority decides, I will not allow you to take any responsibility. Politically I'm a much cleaner scapegoat. Who's easier to pin it on? A chancellor who they have on lockdown or a king who might be anywhere?"

"If they search Russell's palace, they will find the remains of his lover."

"What did he do to you?"

"Nothing. But he was the nearest thing to Russell's heart. He had to die."

"We've lived through so much, for so long. It can't end this quickly."

"Everything ends. Even the immortal." Nan walked into the office then.

"You look like shit," Nan said.

"I feel fantastic."

"The ruling is as follows: the Authority disavows any knowledge of our interview, your statement, or indeed this ruling itself. None of this ever happened."

"What?" Eric asked.

"Missing royals, dead Magisters. It's a political tar baby no one wants to touch, not when the V.R.A is so close to ratification."

"Russell will not stop killing. What if the human public learns of it?" Emma asked.

"That's why you're gonna take care of it. Quietly, discreetly, and most important off all, completely off the books. You wanted revenge, Eric. It's yours."

"What resources are you gonna give me?"

"None. We're not going near it."

"How are you expecting me to kill him? He's older than me."

"Listen, you whiny little bitch, the only link between Sophie-Anne, Russell, and the Magister is you. You brought us this steaming pile of shit, and you're gonna make it go away. Bring me his fangs. Or I'll take yours." Nan then left.


	17. All I Want

"I give all my residences, subject to any mortgages or encumbrances there on to…" an attorney prompted Eric at Fangtasia.

"My wife, Emmalyne Tatiana Northman."

"Why are you doing this?" Emma asked, pissed.

"Because, Emma, Russell Edgington was maybe the oldest and strongest vampire on the planet, before he eviscerated a newsman live on TV. Now he's also the craziest, and his rage is directed at me. Do the math."

"You're not even gonna put up a fight?"

"Of course I am. But until I come up with a brilliant plan to beat him, I am covering my bases and your ass."

"Eric…"

"Unless you have a plan for me to defeat Russell Edgington, do not distract me."

"Congratulations, Mrs. Northman. According to the State of Louisiana, should Mr. Northman meet the true death, you will become a very wealthy vampire. I'll show myself out," said the attorney. Later, Eric met with Bill.

"How did you find me?" Bill asked.

"Oh, it was really not that hard. I know what Sookie is. So is it true that Sookie's blood lets you walk in the sunlight?" Bill looked surprised. "Oh! Sophie-Anne never even told you why she sent you for Sookie."

"I returned to Bon Temps because it is my ancestral home."

"Oh, spare me your lies. I'll just find out on my own."

"Sookie is mine."

"She won't be if you're dead. Is it true?"

"No. The blood works for a few minutes, if that. And you burn a bit slower than you would without it. But you still burn."

"Well, that's gonna disappoint Sophie-Anne."

"Well, I will die the true death before I let her get her hands on Sookie. Or anyone else, for that matter."

"Russell will come for her."

"Well, you should know, since you're now his butt boy."

"No longer. I killed Talbot."

"So that's why he went medieval on TV. Well, thanks, Eric. You just put our cause back a thousand years. He must be after you for that. Why are you even here?"

"I'm trying to save Sookie."

"Oh, give me a break. You don't care about Sookie. You left us in Russell's house to die. What is the fucking truth, for once?"

"The truth? Well, why don't you tell Sookie the fucking truth, if you really love her?"

"What truth?" Sookie asked, coming out of the house.

"The truth about what you are, which I've already told you."

"Why are you here? To pretend like you care about my safety, so you can sell me out to Russell again, or is it to the Queen this time?" Sookie asked Eric.

"You really believe he is trustworthy?"

"All I know is I sure as hell can't trust you. And now that I know what I am and what you want from me, I can promise you will never get it."

"Well, do what you want. I won't be around much longer anyway. I wish you the best, Sookie Stackhouse." A few minutes later, Eric arrived back at Fangtasia after receiving a flurry of texts from Emma.

"This better be good," he said.

"You're too busy signing wills and saying goodbyes instead of using the solution. I'm saving your ass."

"There isn't any way to use her. It won't work."

"We know Russell wants her. Give her to him to save your own skin. He's gonna get her anyway, sooner or later. Are you really going to choose a human over yourself, Eric? Over me? You would have said and done anything to save Godric. I have no interest in inheriting your farm on Irlande. That place is a windy shit hole. If you're not gonna give him Sookie, at least figure out how to use her… and fast." A few minutes later, Sookie had come to visit Eric. She had been waiting in his office for several minutes.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"I needed to think."

"I'm not some kind of prisoner you can just lock up any time you feel like taking off."

"Actually, you are." Eric grabbed her and dragged her down to the basement, chaining her up.

"Let me go! I knew I shouldn't have trusted you."

"You were right."

"Let me go! Eric! Eric!" Sookie yelled as the Viking left.


	18. Skin 'Em Up

Bill broke down the door into Fangtasia, frantically searching for Sookie.

"Sookie!" he yelled.

"Hello, Bill," Pam drawled.

"If you try to keep her from me, I will kill you."

"Get a clue, Bill. I'm not the enemy."

"I am older and stronger. You are no match for me."

"This is not just about your relationship, you infatuated tween. There's a bigger picture."

"Not for me." Pam sped in front of Bill and sprayed his face with a liquid. The vampire screamed in pain.

"Colloidal silver, in stock and overpriced at your neighborhood health food store." A few minutes into their fight, one of Eric's humans had released Sookie from her prison. Bill had gained control of his fight with Pam and chained her up with silver.

"Why did Eric throw me down there? Answer me or I'll spray you!" Sookie threatened.

"You were supposed to be a gift for Edgington. Now we're all gonna die because of one freaky little human."

"Good." Bill and Sookie then left. Meanwhile, Russell was at a museum, looking at a painting and carrying Talbot in a crystal jar. Eric approached him from behind.

"Talbot adores this one. Adored. I'm having trouble switching tenses. You understand. Why did you do it? Talbot never harmed you."

"You loved him more than anyone. So he had to die."

"I'm about to put an end to your insignificant existence. This is not the time to be obscure."

"A thousand years ago, you brought your wolves among the Vikings to butcher a human family. My family. Apparently, you wanted my father's crown for your vast collection of meaningless shit."

"My, my! To lose the one man I ever loved because you miss your mommy and daddy? Well, that is a kick in the pants."

"And there are consequences, even for Russell Edgington."

"Life is absurd. Still, I'm excited to destroy you."

"My loved ones are dead and now Talbot is dead. We're even."

"Don't beg for mercy. It's such a bore."

"I couldn't help but notice your expanding ambitions. You're after the whole world now, aren't you? Well, I can help you get it."

"Eric, you are nothing more than a lump of muscle with a blood grudge. You got lucky. You couldn't possibly comprehend what I'm after. We should begin."

"I can offer you the sun."

"Oh, daywalking? Oh, the old myth. That was around when I was turned. You're pathetic."

"It's not a myth, Russell," Emma said, walking around the corner. "I can walk in the day. Have you ever wondered why?"

"Go on."

"I will show you how to do it. Now, tell me you don't want it," Eric replied.

"I never said I didn't want it. It's the ultimate vampire dream, isn't it? No one could stand against me."

"You would be invulnerable. And if I'm wrong...Kill me tomorrow."

"Clever. To tempt me." Emma's phone then rang.

"Not a good time, Pamela," Emma answered.

"No shit. Bill and Sookie escaped." Emma sighed.

"We should go." A few minutes later, Bill was driving Sookie's car toward Bon Temps. Eric, Emma, and Russell appeared in the middle of the road. The car screeched to a stop. After transporting them back to Fangtasia, Russell yanked Sookie out of the car.

"Everything as far as your deficient human eye can see will be mine," said Russell.

"Pride goeth before a fall," Sookie replied.

"Hit me," Eric murmured to Bill. "Hit me." Bill hit him and they began to fight. As they battled, Emma, Russell, and Sookie entered Fangtasia. "I have a plan."

"Will it save her?" After explaining his plan, Bill and Eric walked into the bar. Eric had tied Bill to a post while Sookie sat in front of Russell.

"Fairies? You seriously expect me to believe she's fairy? A species extinct for millennia? If they ever existed at all. Do you think I wouldn't notice if there were fairies bouncing around in the world?" Russell asked Emma.

"It's true. You didn't know this, Edgington, but before I was turned, I was a full-blooded Fae princess. Now, don't go getting all hungry, Russell. Even if you drank my blood, the power wouldn't work on you. I'm too old. Your body would reject my blood. But I know another." She looked at Sookie. "Now, I never said Sookie was full fairy. She's a human-fairy hybrid, which helps save her from detection. She may well be the last of her kind, your only chance to walk in the sun."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"Drink her blood. You'll see," Eric replied.

"Now, that's just nuts. Nothing in my blood is a supernatural sunscreen for y'all. Why would you even think that?" Sookie asked.

"Sookie, you're wrong. What Eric says is true," said Bill.

"No!"

"I never told you."

"Bill's experienced it for himself," Eric added.

"Oh, well, that's reassuring. A testimonial from the mendacious Mr. Compton," Russell scoffed.

"I can't force you to believe it. You'll have to see for yourself," Bill replied.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Sookie asked Bill.

"We've tried fighting him. We'll never win. If he develops a taste for your blood, he may let you live."

"Bill, please."

"So?" Emma asked.

"I'm intrigued," Russell replied.

"Excellent," Eric said.

"On one condition."

"Whatever you like."

"You go first."

"I'd love to." As Russell talked to Sookie, Emma pulled Eric aside.

"Don't do it. There's a strong possibility it won't work," Emma warned.

"Oh, it'll work." Emma began to cry. "Oh come now. What's this?"

"Nothing," she whimpered.

"You know I love you more when you're cold and heartless." He kissed Emma before joining everyone else. "Shall we?"

"Let's," Russell replied.

"One caveat, gentlemen. If you drain her completely, that's the last fairy blood you'll ever drink," said Bill.

"Good point!" Eric smirked.

"Onward to adventure!" Russell laughed.

"If this is you trying to help me, thanks for nothing," Sookie spat at Bill before Russell bit Sookie's wrist and Eric took her neck. After getting his fill, Eric opened the door and walked outside into the sun. He was fine and was stunned at being able to walk during the daylight. Russell and Emma watched from the security camera.

"It's fairies. Fucking fairies. Who knew? My hands are shaking. I feel like a little child. Thousands of years of night. You can't know."

"What are you waiting for?" Emma asked. Russell walked outside and was overjoyed.

"Oh! It's glorious. It's sublime." He turned to Eric and saw that his face was blistering. Eric handcuffed his arm to Russell with silver manacles. "Ah! Silver. You traitor. Fucking madman!" The two fell to their knees and began to burn.

"Be brave. We'll die together."


	19. Die Another Day

"Fucking silver. Your father deserved it, you know."

"Just as you deserve this."

"All I wanted was a couple of goats for my wolves."

"You slaughtered my entire family for a couple of goats?"

"Your father was a self-important, greedy little pus, and he got what was coming to him." Emma watched what was going on outside and was furious. Eric had told her he was only going to chain up Russell.

"Eric and his idiotic suicide missions," Emma cursed as she opened the door and went out into the sunlight. The rays didn't burn her at all.

"Eric, this is just stupid," Emma chastised.

"Go away."

"I won't let you do this."

"Shut up, Russell!" Emma growled.

"I will not surrender to the true death. I will find a way to come back and kill you and your husband and anyone you ever cared about, and all because you didn't free me!" Emma then broke the manacles with her bare hands. "Well, it's about fucking time. Now drag me the fuck inside." Emma then kicked him.

"I said shut the fuck up!" Emma then helped Eric into the bar.

"Get this damn thing off of me." Emma ripped the metal off her husband's hands. "Where's Russell?"

"Outside."

"We have to bring him in."

"Are you insane? Why?" Bill asked.

"Godric appeared to me when I was unconscious and asked me to spare Russell."

"You are insane," Bill muttered.

"You want me to go get the guy who wants to kill us all and bring him inside? Really?" Emma asked.

"Eric, do the world a favor and let that little fuck fry," said Pam.

"Fine. I'll go out there myself."

"Oh, for the love of God." Emma walked outside the bar and pulled Russell inside.

"Thank you, dear," Russell said.

"Silence," Emma spat as she tied him to a pole.

"You're a fool not to kill him," said Bill.

"Killing him won't solve anything," Eric replied.

"No, but it would keep him from killing us," Sookie rebutted.

"Oh, he won't be doing any more killing."

"Eric, who the fuck are you right now? He killed your family. Rip off his fucking head," Pam yelled.

"Do not listen to them. I shall reward you handsomely," said Russell.

"Well, that's humiliating," Emma sighed. "You should all go to ground if you don't want the bleeds. I'm old. It doesn't affect me. I'll keep an eye on Crispy here." The next night, Eric came out of the back room. Emma was sipping on a wine glass of blood.

"I've called a friend of mine. He should be here any minute now to take care of this vermin," Eric said as a young man entered through the door. "Hello, Alcide. Your truck out front?"

"Yup."

"Bill, let's go. Got a lot to do. Emma, watch over the fairy."

"Feel safer protecting myself, since I now know I'm basically vampire crack. By the way, I rescind the invitation to my house for all vampires present. So don't even think about following me home."

"Get up," Eric demanded to Russell

"I do not take orders from anybody."

"Eric, do not bring that thing back inside this bar," Emma said before Eric left.

Later at an empty lot, Alcide was talking to Eric.

"We're done now, right? My dad's out of debt. You leave him and my family alone." Eric nodded and Alcide left.

"Just kill me, Viking. Take your fucking revenge," Russell spat as concrete was poured over his body.

"That was the original plan. Then I was thinking, how do I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you won't find some sort of peace afterwards? I can't bear the thought of you finding any redemption."

"Wrapped in silver, encased in concrete. You won't be going anywhere for at least a hundred years," Bill added.

"A hundred years, that's nothing to me. That's a nap."

"That's a hundred years with no escape from your grief. No escape from knowing I took what you love most and you will never get it back."

"A hundred years during which you will go mad. Madder even than you are now. And you are as mad as a fucking hatter," Bill muttered.

"A hundred years for me to plan exactly how I'm gonna kill you both!" Russell yelled.

"Have fun," Eric smirked as he poured more concrete over Russell.

"You make me bleed, my child. So much hatred," said Godric's ghost.

"This is who I am, Godric. This is what you made!"

"Do you not see that he is the one who is mad? Speaking to phantoms?" Russell asked.

"All I can see is how utterly powerless you are knowing that you're about to be buried alive. And honestly, it's a thing of great beauty," Bill smirked.

"You will regret this."

"Maybe. But right now, it feels fucking good," said Eric.

"When fate presents one with such a grand opportunity, what else is one to do?" Bill said as he pushed Eric into another hole and poured concrete on him. Having stolen his phone, he made a phone call and imitated Eric's voice. "It's Northman. I want you to find my progeny, Pam, and kill her. Now. Take care of Emma as well."

That evening, Bill approached Sookie who was sitting on the swing of her house.

"We must talk," he said.

"Come in."

"Russell is gone."

"Thank God for small favors."

"Eric as well."

"What?"

"I ended him."

"Why?"

"He tasted you. He knew what you are. Even if we are to go our separate ways, I will make sure that you are safe."

"But Eric would never..."

"Sookie, most vampires are not like me. Even if holding themselves back occurred to them, they would probably not be able to. I'm not taking any chances. I intend to bring the true death to all that have tasted you and know what you are."

"Russell, Eric..."

"Emma, Pam, the queen, and any who discover it in the future. I will do anything to keep you safe, even if it means me not being a part of your life. This I swear to you. I have never loved, nor will I ever love, as I have loved you."

"Did you tell her you were originally sent by the Queen of Louisiana to procure her because of what she might be?" said Emma, appearing on Sookie's porch with Eric, both covered in concrete.

"What?" Sookie asked.

"I did not know why she wanted you. As I grew to know you, I purposely kept you from her," Bill admitted.

"Were you ever gonna tell me?"

"I hoped to someday. I swear it."

"What about you letting two psychos beat her within an inch of her life so you could feed her your blood the night you met? Think she'll forgive you for that?" Eric smirked.

"Oh, my God. Is it true?"

"Yes."

"He tried to silence me tonight so you would never know. He doesn't wanna protect you. He only wants to protect himself."

"Get out of my house. Don't ever come here. Don't ever call me. Don't ever talk to me. Ever. You manipulated me into falling in love with you!"

"It is who you are, Sookie, not what you are, that I love, and will love always, until I meet the true death."

"Love! You don't even get to use that word. I rescind my invitation."

"No!" Bill yelled as he was thrown out of the house by an invisible force.

"I want my phone back, Bill. And you owe Emma a new dress," said Eric.

"You too. Both of you. Get the fuck off my porch and out of my life!" Sookie yelled.

"For the record, we would never have given you to Russell. I'm sorry to see you suffer like this, but we thought you had the right to know." Emma and Eric then walked away.

"I'm never going to get all of this cement out of my hair," Emma sighed. "Ruben tried to kill me by the way. I took him out."

"Oh, great. On top of everything, we're out an assassin."

"I have zero patience with that shit." Swiftly, Eric appeared in front of Emma and picked her up bridal style, kissing her.

"Eric, I'm dirty."

"Well, then we'll just have to get you clean then won't we, my Spartan princess?" Emma giggled and they disappeared in the wind, both unaware what the future had in store for them.


	20. Unstable

"What the hell?" Jessica turned to Emma as she saw a congregation of human protestors outside of Fangtasia, some with video cameras.

"Welcome to vampire nightlife, post-Russell Edgington. Go on home and let these good people practice their constitutional right to be fucking idiots. Technology. Takes all the fun out of being a vampire." After escorting Jessica to her car, Emma went back into the club and toward Eric's office. Eric looked up from his desk, concerned over Emma's pallor.

"You don't look well, dearest," said Eric, rising from his chair, as Emma massaged her temple.

"I have a headache."

"Vampires don't get headaches."

"I'm so tired. I think I've been daywalking too much and it's finally catching up with me." Emma tried to walk toward Eric, but stumbled and leaned against a bookcase. Eric was immediately by her side.

"I've got you. You should go home. Get some rest."

"I don't want to leave without you."

"I just have one last errand to run for the king and then I'll be home."

"King Bill," Emma muttered, rolling her eyes. "You should've taken his position. You could have squashed him like a bug."

"I'm not one for politics. Pamela."

"I don't want to go home without you. What if Bill tries something?"

"I am ten times his age. I can take care of Bill. Go home. Get some rest. I will be home as soon as I can." He kissed her forehead just as Pam entered the room.

"You rang?"

"Please take Emma home. She's not feeling well."

Later that night, Eric arrived at Bill's mansion, impatient to get back to Emma. He could feel that even though she was asleep, she was anxious he hadn't returned. Before he entered Bill's office, he pushed a sense of relief and love into their bond and felt her relax a little.

"Thank you for coming, Sheriff," Bill greeted.

"Of course."

"There's a new coven in town."

"Oh no. Witches," Eric mocked.

"They're based out of a Wicca shop not far from here. Called Moon Goddess Emporium."

"I'll put Pam on it."

"You'll do it yourself! They're necromancers, Eric." Eric then turned around to face his king, his concern apparent on his face. "They brought a bird back from the dead."

"Are you certain of this?"

"I had someone on the inside. I hope I don't have to impress upon you the implications of this."

"You do not."

"If they can control the dead, they can control us."

"Do you remember the Inquisition? I was around back then."

"Excellent. Now will you deal with this yourself or is it still beneath you?"

"Has the AVL signed off on this?" Eric asked, curious.

"I am the King of Louisiana! I don't have to ask anyone for permission."

"I will go tonight, my king."

"Thank you, Sheriff." Eric chuckled as he left. A few minutes later, he arrived at the shop and heard a familiar voice, although he couldn't put his finger on exactly who it was.

"Where the fuck are you going to get a dead body?"

"Excuse me. Ya'll looking for a dead body?" His fangs extended and the witches flinched.

"Oh shit."

"Oh, Lafayette. I didn't know you were a witch. I'm told your leader's name is Marnie."

"Who told you that?"

"Let's just say a little bird did. So which one of you lovely ladies is Marnie?"

"I am."

"Excellent. Thank you for coming forward. Now here's the deal. This is the last time your coven convenes. And before you even think of agreeing and meeting behind my back, know this. There is no behind my back. I am everywhere."

"What's in it for me?"

"I said it was a deal, not a negotiation. Lafayette, do I negotiate?"

"I'd listen to him, Marnie. He tends to get his way."

"Join hands," said Marnie. Eric rolled his eyes and grabbed her.

"Why couldn't you just take the deal?" He bit her and she screamed until Holly formed the circle.

"Elements of the night, elements of the dead, come this way, we call upon you." Power coursed through Marnie and she knocked Eric away. She then chanted a spell and Eric flashed away.

The following night, Emma woke from her day sleep and was immediately worried. Eric had never come home. She walked out of the house and searched for him through her blood bond. She tracked him down to a cemetery. She found him without a shirt and barefoot. He must have gone to ground here. But why? Why hadn't he just come home?

"Eric? Eric?"

"Who are you?"

"It's me. Emma."

"Who?"

"You know me."

"No, I don't. You know me? Who am I?"

"Of course I know you, Eric."

"Eric is my name?" he asked as Emma grew more and more puzzled by the second.

"Why are you out here?"

"I don't know that either."

"You don't remember anything? You know you're a vampire, right?"

"Yes."

"What was the last thing you remember?"

"I don't know. Eyes. Empty, cold eyes. They were reaching into me, emptying me. She was in a circle, chanting. Everything I was…it was taken from me. Then I went to ground."

"Gami̱ménoi mágisses. _(Fucking witches.) _Let's go before you freeze. I'll take you home."

When she got home, Emma had sat Eric down in the living room and set his dirty feet in a dish of water. As she went to retrieve a rag from the kitchen, she called Pam.

"Fangtasia, this is Pam."

"Eric's home."

"Okay. You have a point?"

"Well, he doesn't seem to remember it's his house. Or much else."

"Is he…damaged?"

"Mentally."

"Do you think he could pose a threat to you?" Pam was as concerned for Eric as she was for Emma.

"I don't think so at the moment. It seems to be a matter of memory."

"I hate witches. Humans had the right idea, burning them at the stake. I'll be over in a minute." After Pam hung up, Emma busied herself with washing Eric's feet.

"You are really beautiful," Eric murmured as he gazed at Emma.

"Thank you," Emma smiled as Pam came in.

"Who are you?" Eric asked.

"Fuck! What's the last thing you remember?" Eric was silent. "You have to hide him! He's in danger!"

"What the hell is going on?" Emma asked.

"I believe Bill set Eric up and sent him to a coven in Shreveport knowing it was a trap. It wouldn't be the first time he tried to get rid of Eric. He'll use this as an excuse for the AVL to assassinate him. I know he wants to."

"No one is touching Eric, Pam. I can promise you that. Just bring me those witches' heads."

"What about Bill?"

"We'll deal with him in time. Our first priority is getting Eric back to normal." After Emma got Eric settled into their room, Emma went downstairs to read a book. A few hours later, she walked up to Eric's room to see him still awake.

"You've been quiet. This isn't like you," Emma said, sitting on the bed. Even without the blood bond, it was obvious he was depressed. Emma had never seen Eric look so dejected.

"Yes it is."

"No, it's not. The real Eric…"

"I am real," Eric interrupted.

"Yes. You are," Emma reassured him. "I meant the Eric with his memories. Not much gets him down. Sure he's a rascal and a troublemaker and most of the time I'd like to slap the smile off his face…" _Or make out with him till he breathless_, Emma thought, "But he's a happy vampire." It was obvious Emma's words weren't cracking through Eric's depression. "I wish I knew what to say to make you feel better."

"You think I'm weak."

"No."

"You want the Eric that doesn't feel."

"It's not that."

"If you kiss me, I promise to be happy."

"No," said Emma, shaking her head. Ever since she called Pam, Emma promised herself she wouldn't tell Eric they were married or bonded. She didn't want Eric to feel obligated to love her in his fragile mental state.

"Why not? You've had my blood. And I yours. I can feel it." _Fuck_, Emma thought. "Are we—have we been—lovers?"

"Something like that," Emma finally admitted. Eric took her hand and kissed it.

"Will you stay with me?"

"I don't see why not," Emma sighed. Eric curled up against Emma, resting his head on her lap.

"How did we first meet?" Eric asked as Emma stroked his hair.

"It was a long time ago. My child had informed me that he'd turned another. That person was you."

"Have I been good to you?"

"Very. You've taken very good care of me. Better than anyone ever did. Maybe even better than my maker. And now it's my turn to take care of you. Try and get some sleep." Later in the evening, Emma heard a knock at the door. She left the bed and locked their room.

"Bill," said Emma, answering the door.

"Emma. You look well."

"What do you want?"

"Where is Eric?"

"I don't know. I have no idea where he is."

"Don't lie to me, Emma. It's treason."

"Exactly. I wouldn't take the chance. All of your subjects are learning how ruthless you are."

"I know the depth of your devotion. You would lie and die for your progeny."

"And I know you hate him."

"We searched his farm in Oakland, and Holland, and his apartment in Paris, and the plantation in Barbados, and, I mean, we looked everywhere. This is the one place that he owns that my guards haven't searched, so…with your permission…"

"Or without it?"

"I'd rather you agreed," said Bill, a bit intimidated by the old vampiress.

"I'm not letting your big goons with guns stomp around my clean house."

"It'll only be me."

"There will be no search. Now unless you want to see a very pissed off Old One, I suggest you leave."

"Why didn't you call me when he went missing?"

"Well, I was kind of thinking you'd sent him to those witches so they'd kill him."

"You're not supposed to think. You're supposed to follow protocol. When you hear from him, you let me know immediately."

"Yes, sir. You like the feel of it, don't you, Bill? That crown." He glared at her before leaving.


	21. Burning Down The House

Two days later, Emma received a phone call from Pam. She'd heard whispers that the witch coven was going to attack at the Festival of Tolerance. When Emma and Eric arrived, Emma saw vampires, controlled by Marnie, attacking the event. Eric and Emma immediately began to take down the vampires, but there were too many.

"Enough of this shit!" Emma yelled, finally losing her temper. Her hands glowed. Emma had never realized her fae magic had stayed with her until a certain mob in Santa Barbara tried to torch her. She didn't use it in public because it was too dangerous for others to know about, but she considered this situation to be an exception to the rule. A white glow coursed through the room, killing the witches and freeing the vampires from their spells, including Eric.

"Emma?" Eric asked.

"You're back. If I'd known I could have brought you back…"

"Shh. We will discuss it later." He kissed her forehead and then the two vampires helped tend to the wounded. A few hours into the evening, Eric and Emma returned home. They had a few hours before Eric had to attend to a meeting with the King and Nan.

"I can't believe your back," Emma whimpered as he pushed her into a wall, kissing her neck.

"I'm back, baby." And then his lips were on hers. They stumbled into the bedroom pulling each other's clothes off and running into walls. Emma felt like she was dying as Eric's distinctive scent besieged her. It was intoxicating.

"Oh, Eric!" Emma cried as she wrapped her legs around him and he thrust up into her.

"God, you're so tight," Eric growled as Emma rode him. Their releases were almost instantaneous, but they were nowhere near done with each other. They fell onto the bed. "How much farther can you go?"

"As far as you want. Give me all of you."

Hot, wet skin slapped together as they panted in sync with each other. Their hunger for each other knew no bounds. One of Eric's hands threaded through Emma's wavy hair while the other pulled her leg tighter around his torso, pushing her so close to him she could have sworn they had melted together. He pushed in deep holding her hips firmly against him. Her inner muscles started to convulse around him and he could feel the muscles in his stomach start to tighten.

"I could take you for days," Eric growled as he stilled inside Emma, knowing it would drive her mad.

"Don't tease me," she moaned, wanting more of his delicious torture. She was insatiable when it came to Eric.

"Say it and I'll end it all," whispered Eric, licking up her neck.

"Eric…"

"Say it!" He wanted her to wholly submit to him. If there was one thing Eric knew, it was that in the bedroom, he was king.

"Oh, God. Fuck me, Eric! Lick me! Take me hard and fast! Do whatever you want to me! I'm yours! I don't care. Just fucking set me on fire."

"Well, who am I to refuse such a gorgeous woman. I love it when you talk dirty to me," Eric purred, thrusting hard into her.

"Oh, don't stop!" Emma screamed wrapping her arms around Eric's neck, her hands threading through his hair. Eric growled, nipping every inch of skin he could access from this position. Emma's walls wonderfully clamped around his dick as she fell into the sensual tempest of devastation that was Eric.

"Faster! Harder!" she begged as the bed rocked.

"You'll be the death of me, woman!" Eric shook, thrusting harder and harder into her tight channel.

"That's it. Oh, that's the way I like it." In that moment, all Emma knew was that she desired this sexy as hell man more than anything. She needed him, hungered for his touch. Eric's movements grew more erratic and Emma screamed her lover's name in ecstasy as she hit the brink of destruction and pleasure.

Eric shattered with passion as he pushed her into the mattress, thrusting hard, begging his body for its own completion. He licked her neck, taking in her scent of jasmine, honey, and lilies one last time before plunging over the cliff leading to pure, unadulterated bliss. Shouting her name, Eric fell on top of her, every last drop of his energy gone, as his seed shot through her. Exiting her warm cavern, he rolled over and they both fought to regain their breath.

As they basked in the afterglow of their joyous union, the sheets chaotically covering them, Eric looked in her eyes, eyes that he could lose himself in forever. He towered over her on his elbows and swept a tangle of dark hair away from her flawless face. Knowing no words could describe the emotions swirling inside her, Emma took his hand and kissed the inside of his wrist.

"What is going to happen now?" she asked.

"I don't know. I will call you once the meeting is over."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Later that night, Bill and Eric were waiting for Nan in his office.

"Miss Flanagan, we've been expecting you," said Bill when she finally appeared with Authority guard.

"Hi, Nan and gay stormtroopers," Eric added.

"Perfect. Two birds, one stone."

"The Marnie situation has been resolved if that makes any difference," said Bill.

"Ding dong, the witch is dead. Yipee. I wish for one fucking night you can experience the litany of bullshit I've had to deal with. Then you'd have some idea of how little I give a fuck about your small town witch infestation or your backwoods kingdom for that matter."

"For some who cares that little, you seem awfully pissed off."

"Do I, Bill? Maybe that's because I quit my fucking job!"

"You quit the AVL?" Eric asked.

"And the Authority."

"No one quits the Authority," said Bill.

"Quit, fired. Same difference."

"We assumed our heads were on the chopping block."

"Oh, they are. Dealing the true death to the two of you was my last order, but then I realized I would be next. I have been alive for 816 years. I refuse to be retired like a fat first wife!"

"Let me make sure I've got this straight. You're mutinying against the American Vampire League and the Authority," said Eric.

"And you expect us to join you."

"We won't be alone. There are factions inside the regime who have never been completely on board with the current agenda. Sheriff Northman knows what I'm talking about."

"What's in it for us?"

"Surviving the night." Eric decapitated guards. "You fucking…" Bill then staked her.

"What a bitch," Eric muttered.


	22. Heavens to Murgatroid

"Jessica, it's Bill. I've been caught on business for awhile," said Bill on Jessica's answering machine while Eric cleaned up the king's office at super speed. "Nothing to worry about. Hopefully it won't take more than a week or two. Needless to say, whilst I'm gone my palace is your palace. Within reason of course."

"How about wrapping it up? I could use a hand here." After finishing the cleanup, Bill and Eric walked outside, but another Authority squad captured them and put them in the trunk of a car.

"Do you think they might just be bringing us in for questioning? Or wouldn't we be dead by now?" Bill asked.

"Have you ever heard of a vampire being hauled in by the Authority and then living to tell the tale?"

"Can you get that umbrella?"

"Got it. " They knocked a hole into the gas tank and then lit a match. The car exploded and they jumped out of the trunk. "Let's go."

"Who wants to die first?" asked an Authority guard. Suddenly, he exploded.

"You, Hayes. You die first," said Emma.

"Emma," Eric growled before he pulled her into him for a kiss. The three of them then escaped to the docks.

"The Guardian wanted Nan followed to make sure she carried out his orders," said Emma. "I received the call a few hours ago. I saw an opportunity to save Eric so I took it. I requested I be able to lead the back-up team."

"As a Chancellor of the Authority, you're taking a huge risk. Why would you…"

"Because I'd do anything for Eric, you dolt," Emma interrupted Bill.

"And I would do anything for you."

"Protecting the world from necromancers and rewarding you with the true death speaks volumes of how out of step the Authority's current agenda is. I'm not alone in this belief."

"Factions within the Authority."

"I had arranged for our car to be conveniently ambushed when we hit 310. Our attackers were going to take out my driver then. Unfortunately, the stunt you pulled in the truck came 12 miles too soon."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. It was badass."

"So what do we do now?" Bill asked.

"We go to ground for the day and make new arrangements for tomorrow night. Lilith willing, we'll be safe."

"It's rusty, but tight," said Bill, looking in a shipping container.

"Get inside. I have to call New Orleans and lie my ass off. I strongly recommend holding still." She dialed a number on her phone. "Guardian please. It's Chancellor Northman."

"I knew you had friends in high places, but a Chancellor of the Authority?" Bill whispered to Eric. He shrugged.

"You always were an amazing liar," said Eric when Emma finished her phone call.

"Even the best of lies can be ended." Suddenly, Eric's phone rang. "What is that?"

"Uh…that's my phone."

"You've still got your phone." She hits him and he kissed her. "How could you be so stupid!"

"My phone is untraceable, Emma!"

"Oh."

"Alcide, my faithful friend. How are you? What? Thanks for letting me know."

"Eric, what is it?" Bill asked. But before he could answer, Authority guards surrounded them.

"In the name of the one true vampire Authority whose wisdom and justice all is made manifest by God, do not fucking move!"

An hour later, the three vampires were taken to the Authority's headquarters in New Orleans. A brunette vampire greeted them: Chancellor Salome Agrippa. Emma's vampire sister.

"Salome, listen to me. They're more valuable to us alive. I never had any intention of betraying you," said Emma.

"Fairy tales are for children. Mr. Compton, welcome."

"And you are?"

"Mr. Northman, you're taller than I had expected."

"I get that a lot."

"Life is full of surprises. Isn't it?"

"Do you honestly think I would jeopardize my entire career to harbor two fugitives?" Emma asked. Salome slapped her.

"We'll talk later. Many times I'm sure." They passed through security into an elevator and were placed in Holding.

"So, any ideas?" Bill asked.

"Not really," Eric replied.

"Shh!" Emma chastised. She knew the Authority was probably listening.

"A little different on this set of the bars, isn't it, Emma?" asked a fellow inmate.

"Friends of yours?" Eric asked.

"Nigel Beckford," Emma replied. "He was a nurse practitioner in Mass Gen's maternity ward. Instead of delivering babies, he kept eating them."

"Newborns. So succulent."

"Mr. Compton, Mr. Northman, welcome to New Orleans. Of course, we all wish it were under better circumstances," said Chancellor Dieter Braun over the intercom. Suddenly, the lights went out.

"Oh, shit! Get down! UV!" Emma yelled as UV lights were turned on. Emma looked on as Bill and Eric were burned by the UV. Later, Bill was brought into an interrogation room.

"Mr. Compton, I'm Dieter Braun. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"I bet you say that to all the prisoners."

"I'm sorry about the ultraviolet lights, but we find it speeds the interrogation process. Now, full disclosure. Your IV contains a solution of electrolytically refined silver and I'm afraid that's as severe as it gets. I have a problem, Mr. Compton. Emma is a Chancellor of the Authority. For her to conspire with you and her husband to escape…that's treason, punishable by the True Death. Do you know what this is?" Dieter asked, showing him a book.

"The Vampire Bible. It states that before God created Adam and Eve, he created Lilith who like God was vampire."

"Exactly. We were created in God's image. Not humans. Now do you recall what our Bible tells us of humans?"

"If memory serves, it speaks of Adam and Eve's true purpose."

"And their flesh shall nourish yours, their blood shall flow within you, for as the beetle nourishes the lark, so shall human nourish vampire. Powerful stuff indeed. Do you believe it?"

"What?"

"In the literal interpretation of our sacred text? That humans are nothing but food."

"I do not."

"Now this is where things get a bit tricky. There are fundamentalists who do believe that. We believe your friend, Emma, is one of them."

"I have known vampires who thought like that, yes, but I can assure you that is not my philosophy."

"The Guardian has struggled to make co-existence with humans a lasting reality, but not to sound paranoid, there are forces aligned against us and I'm wondering if they might include you. Do you believe in the literal interpretation of our sacred text?"

"I do not."

"Have you consulted with those who do?"

"I have not." Dieter activated the machine and it pushed silver into Bill's veins. He screamed in pain.

"Are you sure?"

Meanwhile, Salome was interrogating Eric.

"Being a vampire is wonderful, is it not?" she asked.

"Generally, yes. Right now? Not so much."

"If you give me your full cooperation, not only will we not being needing the silver, but you'll walk out of here a free man. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for your wife. We, Old Ones, do not tolerate betrayal. It's unforgivable. She met the True Death." Eric's face hardened. "I know this must pain you. I'm sorry, but you must understand that noncooperation will not be tolerated. Now was it you or Mr. Compton who murdered Nan Flanagan?"

"Nan Flanagan is dead?" She activated the silver machine. Later, Eric and Bill were taken to the Authority's Inner Sanctum. The entire council had been gathered and Emma was there, alive, but restrained by two guards.

"Mr. Compton, Mr. Northman, to meet under these circumstances is a shame, one of several disappointments, when you think you know somebody, when you consider them an ally for centuries," said the Guardian, Roman Zimojic. He stroked Emma's face. "I'm in a real pickle here, boys. According to Nan Flanagan, you are, what'd she like to call you, guys…fuck up one and fuck up two…you have made egregious errors. Humans dead at the Festival of Tolerance. Keeping that quiet wasn't cheap. Now, Nan was no prize either. Still she was Authority and that, boys, is the point. We are the Authority. I am the Authority. Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Sanguinista movement?"

"I don't even know what it is," said Bill.

"Mr. Northman?"

"I'm trying to stay away from politics as much as possible."

"Are you?"

"And religion."

"Just in it for yourself? Think the whole concept of the common good is hopelessly naïve? Chancellors."

"Well, it chaps my ass to say this, but when you've got lame horses, you put them down. The mainstreaming agenda is just too important. It cannot fail. True Death for these fellas," said Chancellor Rosalyn Harris.

"They destroyed a very real threat to all vampires. If there is no documentation of humans being killed by vampires, we are infinitely better served by letting them live," said Chancellor Kibwe Akinjide.

"They killed an Authority member!" Chancellor Alexander Drew spat.

"She was on her way out," Kibwe replied.

"As you can see this Council has had heated debate over what to do with you two sons of guns," said Roman. "Every vampire on this council has committed our careers and lives, our destinies to mainstreaming. Coexistence with humans is not an option. It is a necessity. It is merciful. It is just. It is final. Not to mention that they outnumber us a thousand to one. Any threat to mainstreaming is a threat to us. Fundamentalism is a dead end and I won't fucking have it! Not out there and most certainly not in here. Do you have anything to say before I pronounce sentence?"

"I offer you an exchange. Our lives in return for Russell Edgington," said Bill.

"Russell Edgington is dead. Nan Flanagan assured me of it, she assured the world of it on camera."

"Sheriff Northman and I consigned him to the ground, but we did not kill him. Tragic mistake."

"Because he's now broken free," Eric added.

"That sounds like a lie to me."

"But it is the truth. Whether we live or die you will find out soon enough."

"They have every reason to lie, but I must say I'm intrigued," said Salome.

"Russell wants nothing more than anarchy. If you would like your entire mainstreaming agenda and your administration to be completely obliterated, then by all means ignore me," said Bill.

"The only thing Russell wants more is to see us dead," Eric added.

"Why?" Roman asked.

"He pissed me off. Then I pissed him off. You know how these things go."

"No, I don't. Why would you keep Russell Edgington alive?"

"After everything he'd done, we felt the True Death was too good for him," said Bill.

"We wanted him to suffer," Eric added.

"You want? You disobeyed the Authority to satisfy your feelings? I feel like staking you so fucking much right now! Unfortunately, unlike the two of you, I understand there are a great many things more important than my personal desires."

"Guardian, I promise you. Now that Russell is free he will stop at nothing to find us. And when he does, you will be there to put an end to him as we should have. I offer this to you as a final gesture of solidarity. I, like you, believe that mainstreaming is possible and essential, but Russell must be stopped. I fully expect to meet the True Death either way," said Bill.

"Chancellors, dismissed. Not you, Salome. Stay," said Roman. Once the other Chancellors left, Roman continued, "These Sanguinistas have turned Russell Edgington into some kind of hero for ripping out a man's spine on TV. He's become the poster boy for the anti-mainstream movement. Do you know the one thing more dangerous than a martyr? A 3,000 year old vampire who hasn't fed in over a year. Suffering does not kill the appetite for power. It exacerbates it. I've dedicated my Guardianship to the mainstreaming movement and I will not see it go down the shitter just because of one ancient pissed off psychopath. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Absolutely, Guardian," said Eric.

"We'll bring him in or die trying." Later, Rosalyn was interrogating Emma.

"You killed Hayes, conspired with known Sanguinstas, aiding in Compton's and Northman's escape. As we say in Texas, honey, if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you do is stop digging."

"As we say in Sparta, shut the fuck up, you bloody cunt!" Rosalyn activated the silver and Emma screamed.

"Here's my theory. I think you did it all for love." Emma glared at her.

"Yes, I believe vampires are made in God's image. I believe mainstreaming is an abomination and I believe Lilith will rise from the blood and rip your blasphemous fucking head off and dance in your muck!"

"Good girl. Now doesn't that make you feel better?" Rosalyn put more silver in her and smiled at Emma's screams.


	23. It's All Over

After making a deal with Roman, Bill and Eric were released to find Russell. They first stopped to speak with Pam at Fangtasia. To Eric's surprise, Pam had turned Tara, but his first priority was Russell.

"Stop fucking lying!" Eric yelled, grabbing Pam by the throat.

"I'm not lying. I swear. I don't know where Russell is." He released her. "What's happened to you? A century together and never once have I ever done anything to hurt you, to hurt us. How could you think I'd go and dig up Russell Edgington? You're my maker, Eric, and I would die for you gladly a thousand times over before I'd ever betray you. You know I would."

"Then you'd be a fool. I trust no one. You shouldn't either."

"If I mean so little to you, then why keep me around? If you can't trust me more than Bill Compton or a werewolf for Christ's sake, then release me and get it over with! Just say the words. As your maker, I release you. Say it and we're done. Say it!" Eric walked away into his office where Bill was waiting.

"Not Pam."

"You're certain?"

"She knows nothing. What did Tara say?"

"Nothing to suggest she knows anything about Pam or Russell. What about Emma?"

"Don't be stupid. Emma hates Russell just as much as I do. She would never betray me."

"If Emma was planning a coup, he'd be useful."

"If Emma was planning a coup, I would have known about it. And I still wouldn't have given her Russell. I'm not suicidal. Are you sure you didn't tell anyone? Jessica?"

"If I had, I would have gone to her first. We need to go to ground. Tomorrow we'll cast the net wider. There's a leak somewhere."

The next evening, Eric met with Pam.

"Where's Bill?" she asked.

"He had an errand. Sit. We shouldn't fool ourselves. Searching for Russell Edgington is a suicide mission. Even if Bill and I get him, we'll still be facing a treason charge."

"What about Emma? She's a Chancellor."

"She can't help me anymore. Either Russell will have our heads or the Authority will. There is no other option. The end may come soon and I cannot have you there."

"Eric, I want to."

"No. What you said in anger…you were right. I have to release you and it's not because I don't trust you or I don't care. It's because you are my only progeny. My one legacy. I need you to live when I'm gone."

"If that is your wish, I understand. I accept. Do it."

"Pamela. I renounce the ties of our blood and my dominion over you as my progeny. As your Maker... I release you." She cried. "You are my child as I was the child of Godric who was the child of Emmalyne. You were born into greatness. And you're a Maker now... our blood will thrive. You understand?" She nodded.

At the Authority, Roman and Salome were further interrogating Emma.

"The righteous do suffer," said Salome.

"I am not Job. I accept my fate."

"Do you accept the True Death that will come of your treason?" Roman asked.

"So be it."

"Emma, I will not accept it. You are my sister," said Salome. "And I won't see you martyred for the sake of others. Who else is with you? Who is gathering the extremists?"

"Who else? I don't see you much as a leader," said Roman. Emma laughed.

"Fuck off! I slaughtered and led the battalions of Sparta before you were even a twinkle in your mama's eye. You have seared and sliced every inch of my body. There's nothing left to say."

"If you care nothing of your own life, what about Compton and Northman?"

"Kill them. What do I care? They're going to die anyway."

"Let's do it now then. I love this thing. Especially this app. Say the word and I'll stake them."

"If I tell you, how can I be assured of their safety?" Salome bit her wrist and formed a cross on her chest.

"I swear upon the blood of Lilith. Give us the name of the infidel and Northman and Compton will be spared. This is my most solemn vow as a believer." She then formed the cross on Emma's chest. "Tell me." Emma fell into her sister's chest, crying. Later, a meeting was held with all the Chancellors.

"Guardian this is not necessary," said Dieter.

"If one Chancellor can be strayed from the path, then why not two." Suddenly, guards came in after searching all of the chancellors' quarters. They gave Roman a laptop and a note. "It is as Emma said. There is another traitor. Treachery, sedition under this roof. Chancellor Drew can you explain why this is in your possession?" He played a video of Drew killing a human.

"Who here hasn't fed on a human?"

"There are some of us who do, but we don't tape it, let alone send it out to Damascus, St. Petersburg, to known enemies of the Authority with the encrypted message: sympathy and solidarity."

"I can explain. I was infiltrating them. Gaining their trust." The Guardian then staked him.

"Let your constituents know that there will be no more opposition, no more resistance to our just cause. You will fall in line. Am I understood? Bless the blood."

Meanwhile, Eric and Bill had discovered Russell's location. An abandoned hospital.

"Took you long enough. What infernal racket you people have been making," said Russell.

"Hello, old friend. Do you remember me? We came to finish what we started," said Eric.

"As my great love Talbot used to say while we were buck hunting, give it your best shot."

"He dies, we die most certainly, but if we take him back alive, maybe we don't have to die," said Bill.

"Not likely."

"But not impossible. Maybe you're ready to die, maybe you're just bored after a thousand years, but you do not get to make that decision for me." Suddenly, Authority guards arrived led by Kibwe.

"Freeze! We will take over."

"You better hope you're not around when I am fully restored and oh I will be Authority. Who gave you the authority?" Russell asked as the Authority took him into custody. "What, Lilith! Idiots! You're no better than humans with your absurd, magical thinking. There is no Lilith." Kibwe punched him.

"That is blasphemy." He waved to the guards and Russell was placed inside a van. "No one thought you two would actually be able to deliver Russell Edgington. The Guardian will be extremely pleased."

"Pleased enough to not execute us?" Eric asked.

"Only Lilith knows that."

"As she knows all," said Bill as they entered an empty van to be taken back to the Authority.

"Enough with this religious bullshit. Lilith can fuckin' blow me. And why are you so suddenly into it?" Eric asked.

"I'm just covering my ass." When they returned to the Authority, they were met by the Chancellors who were drinking in celebration.

"Hail the conquering heroes. Roman's very impressed. Please. Your istakes have been deactivated," said Salome.

"I still can't believe you snagged that little psychopath…alive," said Rosalyn.

"Would it be possible for me to speak with my wife?" Eric asked Salome.

"I'm afraid my sister has revealed her true Sanguinst leanings while you were gone. Anyway, I should go back to interrogating Mr. Edgington."

"Be careful. He's the strongest vampire I've ever met. Thank you."

"It was our duty," said Bill.

"Boy scout," Eric muttered.

"Delinquent," Bill shot back.

"My boys, my boys. From now on known as the boys who took down Russell Edgington. Well done," said Roman, entering with a jug of blood.

"Roman, that looks like a special bottle of blood."

"Yes, it is, Rosalyn. 18th century Austrian hemophiliac. Not that I know a lot about these antique bloods. Emma was always the expert. All I know was that it cost a fucking fuckload of money. Sit. Cheers."

"In all fairness, Guardian, we didn't really do anything, but lead you to Russell," said Eric.

"No. You did exactly as I wanted. Now I know you're with me. You do believe in coexistence with humans?"

"Wholeheartedly," said Bill.

"I have felt protective of some humans in the past," Eric replied.

"Yeah, but you do believe that the Sanguinista vision is blasphemy?"

"I was never very religious, but as long as the affairs of humans do not personally affect me, I do remain a pacifist." Roman laughed.

"And you are just too cool to admit you believe in something other than yourself."

"I should continue interrogating our prisoner," said Salome.

"Don't bother. We're going to execute him. We're at war. Just because we caught one very visible enemy does not mean the war is over."

"Guardian, he could prove useful."

"Why would we believe anything he says? Not to mention, he's batshit crazy."

"Yes, Guardian."

"In fact, I want to execute him tonight. Has he been silvered?"

"Less than hour ago."

"Give him another dosage and slap an istake on him. I don't want to get dirty."

"Guardian, I request permission to visit my wife in her cell," said Eric.

"Why?"

"She's my wife."

"You will be at the execution?"

"I wouldn't miss it."

A few minutes later, Eric visited Emma who was praying.

"The First, the Last, the Eternal. Father and Mother, protect me as I protect you from this day until the hour of the True Death. They're executing him tonight."

"So now you acknowledge my presence," said Eric.

"It's happening. It's finally happening."

"What is happening?"

"God's plan made manifest by Her. Oh thank you, Lilith. Thank you, she who transcends death."

"Emma, did you release Russell?"

"No. It's a miracle. It's all part of their plan. She's right. She's been right all along."

Meanwhile, all the chancellors and Bill were present for Russell's execution.

"I wanna gorge on human blood not because some fucking bible tells me to, but because I like it. It's fun. It makes my dick hard," said Russell.

"Are you done?" Roman asked.

"You were a pompous, self-righteous prick in the fucking Renaissance and you still are today. This is all about your ego."

"This is about order! Instead of chaos! This is about mercy instead of sadism. This is about balance. This is about peace." He pressed a button to activate the istake, but it failed to initialize. Russell grabbed Roman and just as Eric flashed in, Russell staked the Guardian.

"Peace is for pussies."


	24. Beneath Contempt

"Level 1 protocols!" yelled Dieter.

"You and me together at last," said Russell as he grabbed Eric. The lights then went out and the Authority's police force came into the room and captured Russell.

"Prisoner's secure." The lights then came back on.

"Eric? Eric?" Bill called.

"The view from up here is spectacular," said Eric, pinned to the top of a column. Later, Eric and Bill were talking in their cell.

"Whoever it was used us, Eric. They used us to deliver Roman's killer right to him," said Bill.

"Emmalyne. She must have broken him out."

"You swore she didn't."

"I was with her while you attended Russell's execution. She knew what was coming."

"I don't care how fucking old Russell Edgington is. Pure silver coursing through a vampire's veins is still pure silver coursing through his veins. We both saw how fast he got on top of Roman."

"And on me. There wasn't any silver."

"And Emma was locked up the whole time. She must have had an accomplice. At least one."

"King Compton, Sheriff Northman, Chancellor Agrippa would like a word with you in her chambers," said a guard. The two were escorted to a large room.

"Gentlemen," said Salome.

"Chancellor Agrippa."

"Come in."

"Eric," said Emma.

"Go fuck yourself, Emma." Russell then appeared. Eric and Bill's fangs descended.

"Relax. I just wanted to make an entrance."

"Russell, enough," said Emma.

"Put your fangs away. We're all friends here," said Salome.

"Like fuck we are," Bill replied.

"Oh, I think we can be. I changed my tune. You killed my Talbot, but I forgive you. Now you go," said Russell.

"You slaughtered my entire family."

"Bygones. It's olive branch time."

"Why should we believe you when no longer than an hour ago you staked Roman?" Bill asked.

"Tell me, Northman, when you were hanging on one of those columns, did you ever stop to wonder why I didn't kill you when I could have so easily?"

"I'm still wondering actually."

"It's because I've been born again. Made again. In my new maker's image."

"Your new maker. Of course."

"Eric, don't…"

"Don't you dare speak to me!" Eric yelled at Emma. "You rescuing us from the Authority, getting caught, everything was a fucking lie!"

"Yes, I knew about Russell, but that's why I tried to save you. Because I didn't trust he wouldn't come after you."

"I dug Russell up," said Salome.

"How did you know where he was?" Eric asked.

"Sister told me. Russell was the only vampire I knew that was powerful enough to take Roman out."

"Power aside you had unparalleled access to the Guardian. If you wanted him gone, wouldn't it have been easier to do it yourself?" Bill asked.

"The Book is very clear on the subject. The Guardian's blood is sacrosanct. He alone shall determine when his essence shall flow. What happened tonight was inevitable. I say this with the deepest regret."

"Bullshit. You can't play the grieving widow and the leader of a coup at the same time. All you want is power."

"No. I want to share it. With Emma, with Russell, with the two of you, with everyone. Too much vampire blood has been spilt in the singular pursuit of power. Why when Lilith gives us more than enough to go around?"

"Join us. Please," said Emma.

"Never, you bible-banging cunts," Eric replied.

"What about you, Mr. Compton?" Salome asked.

"I still believe without peaceful coexistence between our two species neither of us will survive. Mainstreaming is the only way."

"Tomorrow we're having a ceremony, an initiation of sorts. I still would like to give you the opportunity to participate."

"Thank you, Salome. You've shown tremendous mercy," said Emma.

"No. Lilith has shown her mercy. Tomorrow night then."

The next night, the ceremony took place in a chamber holding Lilith's blood.

"The Book says that to stake a Guardian is to turn your back on Lilith. But what to do when that Guardian has already turned his back on her. I believe Lilith forgives Russell Edgington for what he's done. And I do too," said Salome.

"Thank you, Salome. I want everyone here to know just how awful I feel. Not so much about Roman. That was for the greater good, but for what I said about Lilith. I universally disavow myself of my statements. I love Lilith. Praise her."

"How many times over the past century have you heard The Guardian imply that we owed our very existence to humans?" Emma asked. "That we evolved from them. We didn't evolve from them. Shamefully Roman believed we did. Roman believed that this blood, her blood, the blood this very Authority was created to protect – he called it symbolic. It is not symbolic. The book tells us Lilith met the sun by the hand of man. Her progeny collected her remains in an earthen jar. This blood that Salome holds is the blood of Lilith. Nothing could be less symbolic. Whatever any doubts we have will be erased."

"Tonight. Everyone in this room will drink from her."

"This is blasphemy. All of it. Who are you, Emma? To offer the blood of Lilith," said Dieter. Russell then beheaded him.

"May Lilith forgive me."

"She does. Anyone else?" Emma asked.

"We are of Lilith. Lilith is of God. May she reveal herself to us tonight," said Salome.

"Are we really going to do this?" Bill asked.

"It's vampire blood. We're vampires. It's not going to do anything." They all drank the blood and went out into the city, high on blood. They crashed a karaoke bar and started killing people. Lilith then appeared. As Eric continued feeding, Godric appeared to him.

"This is wrong. You know this, but Master does not. Save the Daywalker, my son." Later, they all arrived back at the Authority headquarters.

"What the hell just happened?" Eric asked.

"We saw her. She appeared to us. We saw Lilith," said Bill.

"Yeah, I saw something."

"We were in the presence of God."

"We were high as fucking kites."

Later, Emma was praying in Lilith's chambers. She sensed Eric behind her. She hugged him and he kissed the crown of her head. Taking in her scent, he wondered when everything had gone wrong. His heart ached for Emma. Who had made her like this? Did Salome? That bitch. Eric would gladly rip her head off if only to bring his Emmalyne back.

"This isn't you, Emma. It's insane."

"Insane?"

"I have loved you for over a thousand years."

"And I've loved you."

"This place, all of this. It's clouded your judgment."

"Lilith blesses this place."

"Lilith doesn't exist. Salome chose this path for you."

"Eric, Lilith does exist. You saw her."

"Yes, I did. I saw Godric too. It sickened him."

"Godric?"

"His last night he made me swear I'd always protect you. He reminded me of that promise tonight."

"Eric, we both loved Godric. He was a true pure vampire. Salome's strength and vision would have delighted him."

"It doesn't. It sickens him."

"It's not Salome who's sick. Godric lost his way. The Godric you say you saw was a perversion."

"How can you say that?"

"Because it's true. Godric became weak, a blood hating apologist, who Lilith would have been glad to stake."

"What's happening to you?"

"Godric was my only child and in the end, nothing but a disappointment." Shocked, Eric didn't know how to react. Emma kissed him softly. "Lilith will show you the way." Later, Salome hosted a meeting with the Chancellors and Bill and Eric.

"Gentlemen, join us. It's time to start flexing our muscles around the world, crushing the Mainstreamers. Emma."

"Mainstreaming is a global problem of course, but we have to start dismantling it locally. We have several high ranking members in the British Parliament who are willing to help us in the UK."

"Tru Blood," said Bill.

"Excuse me?"

"Tru Blood. Fuck politics. Concentrate on the Tru Blood."

"What about it?"

"You bomb the factories. There's only five of them. Destroy them publicly. You force mainstreamers to feed on humans as they were meant to."

"It's genius."

"What are you doing?" Eric whispered.

"Evolving."


	25. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree

The following night, the Tru Blood factories had been destroyed. Eric was furious and met with Bill.

"Hey, I have a great idea. Why don't we blow up all the Tru Blood factories and start a civil war. Won't that be fun? Praise Lilith," Eric mocked. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but…"

"It's not a game."

"Shut up. There aren't any cameras in here. You're laying it a little thick don't you think? Salome, Emma, and Russell are thousands of years old. If you think they're going to buy this act much longer, then you're as crazy as they are."

"What if they're not crazy? What if God is a vampire? I saw Lilith. We both did."

"We were high. I don't know what's in that blood, but we need to stay away from it."

"I'm lost. I don't know who to trust. Everything I believed in has been turned upside down."

"You're more of a mainstreamer than I'll ever be. And whatever religious crisis you're having you can have it somewhere else. We're getting the hell out of here. The compound's on lockdown. There's only one way out. A Chancellor's blood."

"You want me to steal Salome's blood? What about your wife?"

"I'll handle Emma. It's our only shot. Tomorrow. Before dawn."

The next night, Eric visited Emma in Lilith's chambers.

"Must be peaceful to be so sure of something. No room for doubt or remorse," said Eric.

"Faith isn't magic. Anyone can do it."

"But it requires surrendering. I've never been a big fan of that."

"Still such a fucking Viking after all these years."

"Always. But you've changed. You're not the power hungry bitch I used to love. How did you find God?"

"Salome. She snuck me in here during the day while Roman had gone to ground. She let me taste the blood. All my ambitions seemed trivial and all I once cared about seemed inconsequential in the face of such divinity. I felt this overwhelming sense of purpose and belonging."

"I wish it were that simple for me."

"It can be."

"No."

"It can be. Believing in something other than yourself doesn't make you weak, Eric. Even the tallest tree knows its existence depends on the soil beneath its roots and the sun and the rain upon its branches. That's what Lilith is to us." His forehead leaned against hers. God, how he missed her.

"I don't want to fight you. I love you so much. I want to believe. Will you help me?"

"Yes. Yes." They kissed and Eric led her out of the room.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Home." He deactivated the cameras and sedated Emma. As he opened the elevator with Salome's blood, Salome was waiting. Bill arrived behind him.

"You fucking traitor."

"I'm doing this for you. We've been chosen by Lilith. This is what God wants." Later, Eric was taken to the Inner Sanctum. Bill and Emma were there.

"Your wife and I can only keep you alive for so long. The others have wanted you executed already. The True Death will come very soon if you don't accept Lilith. As it will for all nonbelievers."

"So let it come." Bill brought some of Lilith's blood. "No. I refuse."

"Shh. I'll do it with you," said Emma.

"No." They forced the blood into his mouth.

"We'll meet her together." Emma tasted the blood and Bill left. "Take it in. She is in you. She's here. Give yourself to her."

"Godric," said Eric, seeing his maker.

"No," Emma replied, shocked.

"I tried to save her."

"My child. How is this possible?"

"We are still connected through the blood, Master. Always and forever. Lilith is a godless God. She will lead you and all those around you to destruction."

"How can you say that after all these years that you and I and Eric hunted and killed together! How can you tell me it's wrong!"

"Because I have done what you failed to do, Master. I have evolved."

"Please save her, Father. She's lost," Eric cried.

"No. No. I am sworn to Lilith." Lilith then appeared and ripped off Godric's head. Both vampires cried at the brutal act.

Later, Eric attended a Chancellor's Meeting.

"What about our prisoner?" Salome asked.

"He's our prisoner no longer," said Emma.

"Our efforts with Mr. Northman have finally borne fruit," said Bill.

"I humbly beg your forgiveness. I refused to recognize what was clear to all of us. Lilith came to me and she destroyed my maker whom I was worshiping as a false god. We are the children of Lilith and it is her who we must obey. And to you I give thanks for your mercy and I forgive you for your sins against my family. We are made again. We are brother now in the eyes of Lilith," said Eric to Russell.

"If Lilith wills it, so be it," Russell replied.

"I have collected the Book of Lilith in every language I know. Every vampire should be required to read it," Emma began.

"Old vampires as well. We want everyone to accept Lilith don't we?" Eric asked.

"Are we seriously sitting here, discussing educational reform? Are we vampires or school moms?" Russell asked.

"The Word is sacred," said Salome.

"How do you suggest we seize our rightful place in the hierarchy of beings when we're helpless as hamsters for twelve hours out of the day?"

"That is the way we were created."

"But it's not the way we have to remain. The legends are true. The blood of the fae allows us to daywalk like Miss Emmalyne. Compton, Northman, you've both drank from the same fae I have."

"And you know it only lasts a few minutes at most," said Eric.

"We harness the blood, we study it, we capture another fairy even and breed them. If the Japanese can synthesize human blood, why can't we do the same with fairy blood?"

"Because we are of the night. The sun is forbidden to us. Fairies are an abomination," said Salome.

"Their blood is like sucking on heaven. You know I wish I had just one drop of fairy blood just to stuff in your pie hole!"

"I saved you, Russell. I can put you back in the ground." Russell threw Salome into a column. Emma rose, but Russell grabbed her and Eric and Bill's fangs extended.

"Oh please. Give me an excuse to kill the both of you. Or hell, why not all of you? I am 3,000 years old. I'm stronger than all of you combined. How long did you think I would be your lap dog? I offer you the opportunity to share a great advancement in the history of our race and the small-mindedness of your religion has literally kept you in the dark. You can have your Lilith. I will not be constrained by your god or anyone else's. I will have the sun!" He then escaped. A few minutes later, Salome received a phone call from DC and went to speak with Emma in the Inner Sanctum.

"General Cavanaugh will be paying us a visit. Are you alright?"

"Yes," Emma replied, still trying to shake off the vision she'd had of Lilith.

"Something's different. You've changed. Are you having doubts?"

"No. Of course not. I'm worried about Russell. His recklessness could destroy everything we've worked for."

"Russell's inconsequential. He's nothing. This is all part of Lilith's plan."

"Yes. Of course."

"We started this together. You and I. And now everything we've dreamed of is coming to pass. The world will run with blood and we'll be there to drink it all."

"And in the darkness we shall rejoice. I'll let the others know." As Emma walked away, her smile faded. She went down a hallway to Eric's room. He saw her on the verge of tears. She'd finally broken. He went to her and kissed her forehead.

"Eric," she whimpered.

"Shh," he replied as he kissed her and they undressed.

"Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me," she cried as he entered her.

"Always," Eric replied as he thrusted into her, throwing her on her back on the bed. Emma moaned, feeling so complete, so healed by this man. Her eyes rolled into the back of head as he pounded into her.

"Oh, Eric!" Emma cried as they both came undone. Emma wasn't aware how long they stayed there in silence, sweat covering them.

"What are we going to do?" Emma asked.

"I'll get us out of here."


	26. Whispers in the Dark

"Nice to see you again, General Cavanaugh," said Salome as the human entered the Inner Sanctum.

"Cut the crap. Where's Roman?"

"Unfortunately, the Guardian is unavailable at this time," said Bill.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"General, this is Chancellor Compton. He's new."

"Well, there's a shit storm out there. Roman's been ducking my calls. Now I demand to know what's going on."

"Well, you're not in a position to be making demands," said Eric.

"And who the fuck are you?"

"General Cavanaugh, we deeply regret that Roman is not here, but can we do anything to help you?" Emma asked.

"We know you bombed the Tru Blood factories."

"That is absurd. Those factories were bombed by terrorists."

"Don't bullshit a bullshitter, Rosalyn. US government and this Authority have an arrangement. The arrangement is called mainstreaming. It means you don't fuck with us, we don't fuck with you. Now I've been working with Roman to protect this Authority for twenty years and this time you've gone too far. There are high level talks at the Pentagon right now about how to eradicate vampires from the face of the planet. So I need to speak with Roman."

"Roman is no longer with us," said Bill.

"How?"

"He couldn't get with the program so he had to go," said Eric.

"This is a Sanguist regime now. Lilith has guided us to our rightful place and there we shall lead all vampire kind," said Emma.

"I should advise you to be careful about what words you choose next," said Salome.

"You psychotic bloodsuckers. Roman was the only one keeping a lid on this. He was the only one keeping the world from sliding back into the Dark Ages."

"Roman was an infidel who defied the Word of Lilith. And now he's gone."

"You strike me as a man of integrity, General Cavanaugh. Also a pragmatist. Now this is the situation we find ourselves in. You can join us or not. I sincerely hope you choose the path forward," said Bill.

"We have video of Russell Edgington and Steve Newlin eviscerating 22 fraternity brothers at the local Gamma Kappa Tau house last night. There are copies of this. Anything happens to me now or in the future, this is going to be released to the public. You assured the world, you assured the President, that Russell Edgington is dead and you lied. If that video goes viral, human populations are going to rise against vampires faster than you can say Molotov cocktail."

"Your threats are empty, General," said Emma.

"Are you really that stupid? We're prepared. You don't think we've been planning for this? We have weapons. Weapons you have never heard of. We own the day. Vampires don't stand a fucking chance. So I suggest you think very carefully of what you say next." The vampires were silent. "That's what I thought." Eric flashed over, his fangs extended. "Oh God."

"God is a vampire." He then snapped the man's neck.

"You fucking idiot! What the fuck is wrong with you!" Salome yelled.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Kibwe asked.

"He was a dick," Eric replied.

"I'm glad he killed the bloated windbag," said Rosalyn.

"He had weapons. Now we're vulnerable," said Salome.

"He was bluffing."

"You're all missing the point," said Bill.

"Listen!" Eric yelled, stopping the bickering. "I admit I might have been a bit impulsive, but I can fix this. I'll go on a glamouring campaign. Eliminate all memory that the video exists. It'll be like it never existed."

"And I know the General's Chief of Staff. If we act quickly, we can contain the situation," said Emma.

"Go. And take the AVL jet. Report back when it's done."

"Take a security detail. Might need the back-up," Bill added.

"Of course."

"I'll go handle the General's entourage," Bill said. Later, Emma and Eric were in the back of a black SUV.

"You guys mind if I change the station?" Eric asked. The guard driving nodded. As the car stopped, he staked them both. The two old vampires then left the car.

"They'll be coming for us." Eric looked at her. She pulled off her Authority pendant and they flew into the sky. Quickly, they located Russell Edgington and Eric staked him, finally getting his revenge. They then went to Fangtasia.

"They've got Pam," said Tara.

"You're insane to go back in there," said Emma to Eric, noticing the look he'd given her.

"She's my progeny. We're going. Oh, by the way, Em, she's family too. So be nice to her." After gathering Tara, Jason, and Sookie as reinforcements, they headed back to the Authority.

"Chancellors. We weren't expecting you until tomorrow evening," said the guard.

"Any trouble?" Eric asked.

"There's been a breach. Shapeshifter. Still in lockdown. I'll need to call this in. Chelsea, I have Chancellors Emma and Eric Northman at the gate. Requesting access. What's your cargo?"

"Humans for lunch."

"You've been cleared." They drove up to the warehouse and went into the elevator.

"Now," said Eric. Tara cut out the camera feed and the elevator doors opened. Jason immediately started killing vampires. Emma and Eric sped out of the elevator while the others stayed behind. Emma and Eric hid on the rafters of the Inner Sanctum and when the moment was right, killed all the guards. "See what you've been missing working for the fucking Authority? Control Room." They sped out and broke into the Control Room. "You've got to do that thing first." Emma slapped his hand away. "You've got to reroute the sensor system."

"That's the first thing I did."

"No, you didn't. Please let me…"

"Do you honestly think you know the system I helped design better than I do?"

"Okay, maybe not." After releasing Pam and Jessica from their prisons, the vampires met with the humans in reception.

"They'll be waiting for you up top so I suggest you reload on the way up," said Eric.

"Aren't you coming with us?" Pam asked.

"We're going to get Bill." Emma and Eric ran down the hallway to Salome's bedroom. Salome was dead and Bill had Lilith's blood in his hand.

"So Lilith appeared to you as well?" Bill asked when they entered the room.

"Only to savagely obliterate my maker. She's a mad god, Bill. She's nothing but destruction. Don't do it. Pour it in the fucking fire," said Eric.

"Bill, get rid of it." Emma added.

"And why should I listen to you, vampire fae? You are an abomination just like the vampire Bible states. I'm surprised the other members of the Authority hadn't killed you. I suppose they saw value in your ties to the vampire community though." He downed the whole bottle of blood and exploded in a mass of blood and guts. However, then he rose again from the blood pool, reborn.

"Fuck," Emma cursed.

"RUN!" Eric yelled. As Bill roared, Eric and Emma sped out of the room.


End file.
